The No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes (8-1) may have gone from the sunny skies of Florida to the grayer skies of home, but the atmosphere was sunny inside Carver Hawkeye Arena as they soundly defeated Bowling Green 99-65 for their fifth-consecutive win.
Prior to the game, head coach Lisa Bluder was given a commemorative ball in acknowledgement of her 500th career win as Hawkeye head coach, a milestone reached with Iowa’s Gulf Coast Showcase semifinal win over FGCU.
Saturday’s sold-out crowd included WNBA legend Sue Bird and actor Jason Sudeikis, best known for his role as Ted Lasso in the smash-hit series. Noticeably absent on the court, however, was Hannah Stuelke, who remains out due to an ankle injury she sustained during the opener of the Gulf Coast Showcase against Purdue-Fort Wayne.
Despite the sophomore forward’s absence, it was a team game and a team win for the Hawkeyes, as five players scored in double figures, including a couple of bench players who filled the void left by Stuelke. Amongst the starters, Caitlin Clark was off target from 3, going 2-for-11, but utilized her playmaking and inside game to finish with a double-double of 24 points and 11 assists. Kate Martin played with relentlessness and finished with 17 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Sharon…
