IOWA CITY, Iowa – The nationally-ranked Iowa women’s basketball team defeated FDU, 102-46, in its regular season opener on Monday night inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
All-American Caitlin Clark led the Hawkeyes, finishing with a double-double scoring a team-high 28 points, 10 assists, and seven assists in only 24 minutes of action. Hannah Stuelke rounded up 22 points, nine rebounds, while going 9-10 from the field. Sharon Goodman recorded a career-high 19 points in her first collegiate start.
Iowa got on top right away leading 35-17 after the first, Clark scoring 19 of them. The Hawkeyes held the Knights to only seven points in the second heading into halftime with a, 60-24, lead.
The Hawkeyes held the Knights to less than 32% from the field in the third and fourth quarters. Iowa’s largest lead came in the fourth quarter when they were up 61 with 3:48 to go. The Hawkeyes outscored the Knights in the paint, 66-16. Iowa’s defense held FDU to less than 10 points in two quarters.
Iowa shot 55% from the field, and all available Hawkeyes played and recorded a stat.
QUOTING P. SUE BECKWITH, MD, HEAD COACH LISA BLUDER
“We were ready to go, and we were sick of beating up on our grey squad guys. It was nice to get out in front of our fans again to get up and down. I know our schedule is getting much tougher quickly, but this is a good way to start.”
HAWKEYE NOTABLES
– It was the 10th sellout in Iowa women’s basketball history. The Hawkeyes set the NCAA record for single game attendance last week against DePaul in Kinnick Stadium. (55,646)
– It is the largest crowd in program history for a home opener. (14,988)
– Iowa improved to 24-0 under head coach Lisa Bluder in regular season openers.
– Clark has scored 20 or more points in 86 of her 101 career games, which is the most in Iowa women’s basketball history. Megan Gustafson is second in Iowa WBB history. (75/135)
– Clark’s 46th career game with four or more 3-point field goals.
– Clark’s 44th career double-double, she is five shy of cracking the Big Ten’s top-10 all-time list.
– Clark’s 42nd career game with +25 points, +5 assists, +5 rebounds which is the most in NCAA WBB history.
– Iowa shot 66.7% from the field in the first period.
– It was the first meeting between the two programs.
– Iowa held FDU to 16.7% from the field in the second quarter.
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UP NEXT
The third-ranked Hawkeyes return to action on Nov. 9, when they play No. 8 Virginia Tech in the Ally Tipoff in Charlotte, North Carolina. The top-ten matchup against the Hokies is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (CT). The game will broadcast on ESPN2 and on the Hawkeye Radio Network.
