Blinksportsnews247
If there was any doubt that the Iowa women’s basketball team would continue to roll through Minneapolis unhindered, the Big Ten Tournament immediately threw another obstacle in the Hawkeyes’ path that would have easily taken many by surprise.
All Iowa could do, unfazed by the early turbulence, was brush it away with serenity.
Even though No. 6 seed Michigan made six 3-pointers in the first quarter, which ought to have produced some sort of upset atmosphere inside Target Center, the No. 2 seed Hawkeyes capitalized on the positive energy in the arena and slowly gained the necessary distance to advance to Sunday’s title game.
After defeating the Wolverines 95-68 in the semifinals on Saturday, Iowa (28-4) will get their desired rematch with Nebraska. as the Hawkeyes compete on CBS at 11 a.m. for their third straight Big Ten Tournament championship. In the first semifinal on Saturday, the Cornhuskers, ranked fifth, defeated Maryland, ranked eighth.
Guard Kate Martin, who has played in five Big Ten Tournament title games in her six years, believes that March is the ideal time to play. “It’s been really fun.”
The Wolverines (20-13) had a clear shot at the Hawkeyes with nothing outside of the atmosphere hanging over them after only meeting once during the regular season, which served as the setting for Caitlin Clark’s first record-breaking night in Iowa City. Despite the fact that it was effectively just another black-and-gold road game, Michigan’s strong start ought to have given them plenty of confidence in a difficult situation.
After one Wolverine trey dropped, more and more followed. And it made no difference at all.
In the end, Michigan made their first seven 3-pointers and built up a lead as big as eight points in the first quarter, only to see it all go in the midst of yet another Iowa avalanche. In the second quarter, the Hawkeyes were behind three points. Five minutes later, Iowa had a double-digit lead that hardly ever went away.
Blinksportsnews247
