PORTLAND, Ore. – The ninth-ranked Iowa women’s basketball team fell to No. 3 UConn in the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament Championship, 86-79, on Sunday afternoon inside the Moda Center.
There were seven lead changes in the entertaining matchup as All-American Caitlin Clark had a game-high 25 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. The junior had six of the Hawkeye’s 14 points in the first quarter to trail by only six.
Kate Martin had a career-high game, sinking all four of her three-point attempts in the second to give Iowa a 41-35, lead heading into the half. Martin had a day, going six-for-six from behind the arc to set a new career-high with 20 points.
Iowa struggled in the third, giving UConn opportunities to rally back and tie. McKenna Warnock swished a deep last-second shot-clock three to take a 55-52, lead. Warnock had 10 of the team’s 16 points in the third and finished with 14 points.
The Hawkeyes started the fourth hot, going on a 9-0 scoring run. UConn slowly made their way back to trail by two, but Gabbie Marshall had a steal and made an easy layup to take a four-point lead with six minutes remaining. The senior tallied three steals, while also setting a new season-high with 10 points. UConn went on a 13-0 scoring run and was able to keep the lead for the remaining of the quarter.
POSTGAME NOTES
- It was Clarks seventh game of the season with 20 or more points.
- Clark has led the Hawkeyes in scoring in its last four games and six out of seven this season.
- Kate Martin set a career-high with 20 points, shooting 7-of-10 from the field and 6-of-6 from behind the arc.
- McKenna Warnock scored 14 points. She has netted double figures in five games this season.
- Gabbie Marshall had a season-high, 10 points.
- Iowa outscored UCONN, 27-15 in the second quarter.
- Nine Hawkeyes saw action in today’s contest.
- The Hawkeyes have two scorers with more than 1,800 career points in Clark (1,849) and Czinano (1,884).
- Clark moved up in the record book, and now ranks 6th all-time in career points.
QUOTING SUE P. BECKWITH, MD, HEAD COACH LISA BLUDER
“Just want to congratulate UCONN, they are a tremendous team. I was really pleased with our first half. We created some problems for them defensively, but if it wasn’t for that third quarter. That’s where our defense let up a bit and they got a lot of confidence. Happy we had four people in double figures, and Kate Martin shot the ball very well. We missed some shots in the fourth quarter that we usually make and could have had a chance to make this an even closer game and potentially win if we would have made some of those shots that we usually make.”
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UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes return home to face No. 13/11 NC State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Mediacom Court at 7:30 p.m. (CT). The game will broadcast on ESPN2 and the Hawkeye Radio Network.
