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Game Preview: No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball at No. 6 Iowa
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Although the all stakes are no longer there, the top-10 matchup segues the Big Ten into the postseason
It’s been 118 days since the start of Ohio State women’s basketball’s 2023-24 season. After starting the year losing three of its first 13 games, the Buckeyes head into the final day of the regular season campaign on a 15-game winning streak.
Before the Big Ten Tournament or March Madness begins, the Scarlet and Gray have one more opponent in front of it, and it’s a big one. Here’s what you need to know about Ohio State vs. the Iowa Hawkeyes.
On Jan. 21, No. 18 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Iowa lived up to its billing. After two sound defeats to the Hawkeyes in the 2022-23 season, the Buckeyes overcame a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to come away with a 100-92 overtime victory.
Since then, the two favorites to win the Big Ten went down slightly different paths. For Ohio State, it was the continuation of an in-conference winning streak that hasn’t been seen in Big Ten country in almost 18 years. That culminated with an outright regular season title celebration on Wednesday, against the Michigan Wolverines.
That title wouldn’t be possible without the Hawkeyes slipping up on its race to the postseason.
On Super Bowl Sunday, with the Hawkeyes riding a four-game winning streak that kept them tied with the Buckeyes at the top of the standings, the Nebraska Cornhuskers welcomed Iowa to Lincoln, Nebraska and shocked the nation. Up 14 points with 44 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the Hawkeyes let it slip away.
Nebraska went on a 10-point run to end the fourth quarter, edging Iowa 82-79. That was without guard Molly Davis, who missed due to illness. The defeat put Ohio State at the top of the standings, but the season still could have ended with a tie of the title. However, Iowa lost again, this time a convincing defeat to the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington, Indiana’s Assembly Hall.
The rest is history, but Sunday itself features another chance at history.
In Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the focus of the raucous home crowd will be on none other than superstar guard Caitlin Clark. Pause for shock
Sunday was already going to be key in the guard’s impact on the history books. The Des Moines, Iowa native is 18 points away from breaking “Pistol” Pete Maravich’s NCAA Division I scoring record, after already breaking both the NCAA Division I women and AIAW scoring records. Clark hasn’t scored less than 18 points since February of 2023.
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Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images
The graphic added to the floor of Carver-Hawkeye Arena to designate where Clark broke the DI women’s basketball scoring record
What elevated the weekend to a different level is the finality of Clark’s collegiate career. Although it’s still highly likely that the Hawkeyes host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, Sunday is the last regular season game she’ll play in Iowa City. That’s because Thursday, Clark announced her decision to forego her final year of NCAA eligibility to declare for the WNBA Draft.
The decision wasn’t too much of a shock. Clark was planned to be part of Iowa’s Senior Day celebration. Plus, the program set up a game in her home city of Des Moines earlier this season, which is something a team isn’t likely to do until the player is on their going-away tour.
Clark welcomes the Buckeyes on the back of one of her best games of the season. Earning her sixth triple-double of the season, Clark led the Hawkeyes over the injury-ridden Minnesota Golden Gophers with 33 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
In the Schottenstein Center, on Jan. 21, Ohio State mostly gave Clark the space to score all the points she wanted. Where the Buckeyes were successful was neutralizing the players around the star, and didn’t let her rebound.
Ohio State held Clark to three total rebounds and seven assists, a down game for the superstar. Also, scoring-wise, the rest of the Scarlet and Gray defense didn’t give teammates the ability to give Clark more assists. Of Iowa’s starting five, three scored under season averages.
That was mostly without Buckeye guards Celeste Taylor and Taylor Thierry available.
In the first quarter, Taylor quickly picked up two fouls. Thierry followed with two of her own, and the main players in the defensive game plan against Clark were watching from the sidelines.
Will Taylor and Thierry staying on the court mean Clark will struggle offensively? More than likely no, but the idea isn’t stopping the guard, its slowing her down and disrupting the Hawkeyes.
The more Clark gets frustrated, the more she takes low percentage shots. While the guard will elicit screams from the crowd, and commentary teams, alike on her long three-point shots, its a better pick that passing in to forward Hannah Stuelke or finding an open teammate on the wing.
Speaking of Stuelke, the sophomore forward was also watching much of the game from the bench, picking up fouls herself. Should referees give more allowance to play on Sunday, she adds a dangerous dimension in which the Buckeyes need to prepare. It’s unsure how Ohio State will do because of previously mentioned foul issues.
Sunday could be the game that both teams were planning for in January, with all the adjustment required.
For the Buckeyes, remaining calm will be paramount. Remember that Ohio State was down 12 points to this very side in the fourth quarter and came back. That’s because the Scarlet and Gray didn’t focus on the scoreboard, according to guard Jacy Sheldon following the game.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25315213/1952823815.jpg "Iowa v Ohio State")
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Following Wednesday’s win over the Wolverines, the Buckeyes were clear that even though there is no title or seeding directly on the line in Iowa City, there’s no let up expected. Head coach Kevin McGuff doesn’t want his team thinking they can flip a switch whenever they choose.
Also, to the players, this game is still personal. Nothing was resolved beating the Hawkeyes in front of a sellout crowd of almost 19,000, a program home record.
Is that because of the postgame actions of Clark in last year’s January victory over Ohio State, taking a “Dub Chain” shirt and throwing it over her shoulder? The lopsided defeat to the Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Tournament? Does the collision following the Jan. 21 game between Clark and someone storming the court have something to do with it?
The players wouldn’t say, but they did say Iowa will get everything they have available to give.
G- Jacy Sheldon
G- Celeste Taylor
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Rebeka Mikulášikova
G- Molly Davis
G- Caitlin Clark
G- Gabbie Marshall
G- Kate Martin
F- Hannah Stuelke
It’s going to be another close game between the sides, but Iowa gets the advantage playing at home. It’ll be a better game defensively than the January matchup, with Taylor and Thierry playing more minutes than in Columbus.
The Hawkeyes will go down in the first half but have a strong second half, ultimately winning with free throws.
Date: Sunday, March 3, 2024
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa
Television: Fox
Stream: Fox Sports App
Every Big Ten team plays on Sunday, and the end result some teams are fighting for is Big Ten tournament seeding. Here’s where the standings fall before the games tip, and the schedule of seven games:
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Big Ten conference website
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Big Ten conference website
The biggest jumps available for teams include the final double-bye and single-bye spots. The Michigan State Spartans hold the fourth spot. If they lose and the Nebraska Cornhuskers win, Big Red takes the fourth seed, earning an additional day off.
At the bottom of the conference, Purdue can also find itself earning a day of rest. If the Boilermakers defeat the Michigan Wolverines and both Minnesota and the Wisconsin Badgers fall, Purdue gets to start its tournament on Thursday.
There’s also tournament seeding for March Madness. Teams like the Maryland Terrapins, Wolverines and Nittany Lions are all playing for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Wins Sunday, plus strong runs in the conference tournament, make them dangerous teams both Sunday and into the postseason.
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Although the all stakes are no longer there, the top-10 matchup segues the Big Ten into the postseason
It’s been 118 days since the start of Ohio State women’s basketball’s 2023-24 season. After starting the year losing three of its first 13 games, the Buckeyes head into the final day of the regular season campaign on a 15-game winning streak.
Before the Big Ten Tournament or March Madness begins, the Scarlet and Gray have one more opponent in front of it, and it’s a big one. Here’s what you need to know about Ohio State vs. the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Preview
On Jan. 21, No. 18 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Iowa lived up to its billing. After two sound defeats to the Hawkeyes in the 2022-23 season, the Buckeyes overcame a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to come away with a 100-92 overtime victory.
Since then, the two favorites to win the Big Ten went down slightly different paths. For Ohio State, it was the continuation of an in-conference winning streak that hasn’t been seen in Big Ten country in almost 18 years. That culminated with an outright regular season title celebration on Wednesday, against the Michigan Wolverines.
That title wouldn’t be possible without the Hawkeyes slipping up on its race to the postseason.
On Super Bowl Sunday, with the Hawkeyes riding a four-game winning streak that kept them tied with the Buckeyes at the top of the standings, the Nebraska Cornhuskers welcomed Iowa to Lincoln, Nebraska and shocked the nation. Up 14 points with 44 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the Hawkeyes let it slip away.
Nebraska went on a 10-point run to end the fourth quarter, edging Iowa 82-79. That was without guard Molly Davis, who missed due to illness. The defeat put Ohio State at the top of the standings, but the season still could have ended with a tie of the title. However, Iowa lost again, this time a convincing defeat to the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington, Indiana’s Assembly Hall.
The rest is history, but Sunday itself features another chance at history.
In Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the focus of the raucous home crowd will be on none other than superstar guard Caitlin Clark. Pause for shock
Sunday was already going to be key in the guard’s impact on the history books. The Des Moines, Iowa native is 18 points away from breaking “Pistol” Pete Maravich’s NCAA Division I scoring record, after already breaking both the NCAA Division I women and AIAW scoring records. Clark hasn’t scored less than 18 points since February of 2023.
The graphic added to the floor of Carver-Hawkeye Arena to designate where Clark broke the DI women’s basketball scoring record
What elevated the weekend to a different level is the finality of Clark’s collegiate career. Although it’s still highly likely that the Hawkeyes host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, Sunday is the last regular season game she’ll play in Iowa City. That’s because Thursday, Clark announced her decision to forego her final year of NCAA eligibility to declare for the WNBA Draft.
The decision wasn’t too much of a shock. Clark was planned to be part of Iowa’s Senior Day celebration. Plus, the program set up a game in her home city of Des Moines earlier this season, which is something a team isn’t likely to do until the player is on their going-away tour.
Clark welcomes the Buckeyes on the back of one of her best games of the season. Earning her sixth triple-double of the season, Clark led the Hawkeyes over the injury-ridden Minnesota Golden Gophers with 33 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
In the Schottenstein Center, on Jan. 21, Ohio State mostly gave Clark the space to score all the points she wanted. Where the Buckeyes were successful was neutralizing the players around the star, and didn’t let her rebound.
Ohio State held Clark to three total rebounds and seven assists, a down game for the superstar. Also, scoring-wise, the rest of the Scarlet and Gray defense didn’t give teammates the ability to give Clark more assists. Of Iowa’s starting five, three scored under season averages.
That was mostly without Buckeye guards Celeste Taylor and Taylor Thierry available.
In the first quarter, Taylor quickly picked up two fouls. Thierry followed with two of her own, and the main players in the defensive game plan against Clark were watching from the sidelines.
Will Taylor and Thierry staying on the court mean Clark will struggle offensively? More than likely no, but the idea isn’t stopping the guard, its slowing her down and disrupting the Hawkeyes.
The more Clark gets frustrated, the more she takes low percentage shots. While the guard will elicit screams from the crowd, and commentary teams, alike on her long three-point shots, its a better pick that passing in to forward Hannah Stuelke or finding an open teammate on the wing.
Speaking of Stuelke, the sophomore forward was also watching much of the game from the bench, picking up fouls herself. Should referees give more allowance to play on Sunday, she adds a dangerous dimension in which the Buckeyes need to prepare. It’s unsure how Ohio State will do because of previously mentioned foul issues.
Sunday could be the game that both teams were planning for in January, with all the adjustment required.
For the Buckeyes, remaining calm will be paramount. Remember that Ohio State was down 12 points to this very side in the fourth quarter and came back. That’s because the Scarlet and Gray didn’t focus on the scoreboard, according to guard Jacy Sheldon following the game.
Following Wednesday’s win over the Wolverines, the Buckeyes were clear that even though there is no title or seeding directly on the line in Iowa City, there’s no let up expected. Head coach Kevin McGuff doesn’t want his team thinking they can flip a switch whenever they choose.
Also, to the players, this game is still personal. Nothing was resolved beating the Hawkeyes in front of a sellout crowd of almost 19,000, a program home record.
Is that because of the postgame actions of Clark in last year’s January victory over Ohio State, taking a “Dub Chain” shirt and throwing it over her shoulder? The lopsided defeat to the Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Tournament? Does the collision following the Jan. 21 game between Clark and someone storming the court have something to do with it?
The players wouldn’t say, but they did say Iowa will get everything they have available to give.
Ohio State
G- Jacy Sheldon
G- Celeste Taylor
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Rebeka Mikulášikova
Lineup Notes
- Guard Jacy Sheldon has scored double figures in 25 of 28 games this season.
- Sheldon is 42 points away from scoring 2,000 career points, all with the Buckeyes.
- Guard Celeste Taylor averages 3.0 steals in the month of February.
Iowa
G- Molly Davis
G- Caitlin Clark
G- Gabbie Marshall
G- Kate Martin
F- Hannah Stuelke
Lineup Notes
- Caitlin Clark’s 32.2 points per game average leads NCAA Division I women’s basketball.
- Clark is also the only women in Division I basketball history to score at least 3,600 points, 1,000 assists and 900 rebounds in a career.
- The Hawkeyes are 3-2 against ranked teams this season, losing to the Buckeyes and Indiana Hoosiers.
Prediction
It’s going to be another close game between the sides, but Iowa gets the advantage playing at home. It’ll be a better game defensively than the January matchup, with Taylor and Thierry playing more minutes than in Columbus.
The Hawkeyes will go down in the first half but have a strong second half, ultimately winning with free throws.
How to Watch
Date: Sunday, March 3, 2024
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa
Television: Fox
Stream: Fox Sports App
LGHL Prediction: 85-80 Iowa Hawkeyes
Final Day Implications
Every Big Ten team plays on Sunday, and the end result some teams are fighting for is Big Ten tournament seeding. Here’s where the standings fall before the games tip, and the schedule of seven games:
The biggest jumps available for teams include the final double-bye and single-bye spots. The Michigan State Spartans hold the fourth spot. If they lose and the Nebraska Cornhuskers win, Big Red takes the fourth seed, earning an additional day off.
At the bottom of the conference, Purdue can also find itself earning a day of rest. If the Boilermakers defeat the Michigan Wolverines and both Minnesota and the Wisconsin Badgers fall, Purdue gets to start its tournament on Thursday.
There’s also tournament seeding for March Madness. Teams like the Maryland Terrapins, Wolverines and Nittany Lions are all playing for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Wins Sunday, plus strong runs in the conference tournament, make them dangerous teams both Sunday and into the postseason.
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