B1G Game 10: Gophers visit Iowa (2-4-18)

Ignatius L Hoops

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 9, 2015
Messages
10,170
Reaction score
3,109
Points
113
Looking for the Sweep:

Like the Badgers, the Hawkeyes (5-5) are 2-1 since their 72-77 loss to Minnesota (6-3) in Minneapolis. First, Iowa surprised Ohio State (7-3) in Iowa City 103-89. Megan Gustafson (29 points) and Kathleen Doyle (25 points) paved the way for the Hawkeyes. Next up, visiting Nebraska (8-2) wiped away any Hawkeye smugness in a 92-74 rout. The Huskers sprinted to a 56-26 half time lead. Gustafson finished the game with 26 points and Doyle 16. As Lisa Bluder said about the first half, “It was like a bad dream; you just can’t get out of it”.

However, Iowa bounced back in East Lansing sending Michigan State (4-6) to the Spartans fourth consecutive loss, 71-68, in overtime. Gustafson (36 points and 17 rebounds) and Doyle (11 points and 11 rebounds) both had double doubles. Chase Coley hit a base line jumper with seven seconds remaining in OT putting Iowa up by one. Gustafson added two free throws for the final margin. After a fairly free flowing opening half, The third quarter, ending 46 all, featured a low scoring physical battle. Iowa score 9 points and Michigan State 10. Iowa continues to be an inside team with limited guard options.


There isn’t really much new to note about the Hawkeyes; unless it’s how well Kathleen Doyle has perfected the befuddled and baffled, “ What????, Huh??? That fouls on ME??? reaction.


B1G Conference Stats

Offense
2. Minnesota 80.9
5. Iowa 74.1

Defense
10. Minnesota 73.2
11. Iowa 74.5

Marign
4. Minnesota +6.9
9. Iowa -0.4

Three Point Shooting
4. Minneapolis 81-210 (.386)
14. Iowa 40-152 (.286)

Scoring
1. Gustafson 27.4
9. Bell 17.1
10. Wagner 16.6
17. Pitts 14.8
18. Doyle 14.4

Assists/Game
1. Doyle 8.2
2. Bell 7.0

Assist/Turnover Ration
3. Doyle 2.2
11. Bell 1.5


Starters (B1G Stats):

6’3” F Jr Megan Gustafson: 27.4 points and 12.8 rebounds/game
5’9” G So Kathleen Doyle 14.4 points/game
5’9” G So Mackenzie Meyer 9.0 points/game
6’3” F Sr Chase Coley 8.9 points and 7.1 rebounds/game
5’8” G Fr Alexis Sevillian 6.8 points/game


The Bench:

6’2” F Jr Hannah Stewart
6’1” F So Amanda Ollinger
5’8” G Fr Zion Sanders
 

Hawkeyes are beatable for the Gophers, even in Iowa City, as evidenced by Nebraska's recent rout of the Hawkeyes. Iowa mostly a 2-player show with Gustafson, the best big in the BIG, and Doyle, who is a really, solid, hardworking player despite the above-referenced antics which are a bit annoying. Go Gophers! Would be a really nice win if they could get it.
 

Doyle’s antics last night at Michigan State were especially annoying for some reason. She flexed on the Gophers last time and then lost. Hoping for a repeat!

Step 1: Pitts stay out of foul trouble.
 

From a coaching standpoint it is much easier to defend 2 dominant players rather than 3 or 4. I am hopeful they can bottle up Gustafson!
 

http://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sp...g-consistency-following-ot-triumph/303716002/

Lisa Bluder:

“Looking back on it the first time, we really did not box out well,” Bluder said. “They had 15 points off of 18 offensive rebounds. We had (only two) threes in that game, but that was (Makenzie Meyer’s) first game back. So we were just getting used to having her back in the rotation again and all those sorts of things. I think Mack is feeling a lot more comfortable out there, a lot more confident. She doesn’t’ have to wear the brace anymore.

“But we definitely need to work on our box-outs, and we can’t let those 3-point shooters get loose. For example, Destiny Pitts scored 11 points and only played 11 minutes. She is their freshman power forward who shoots over 40 percent from 3-point range. She shoots a ton on them, and we can’t lose her. It’s paying attention to that scouting and not having those brain lapses where we lose people.”
 



“But we definitely need to work on our box-outs, and we can’t let those 3-point shooters get loose. For example, Destiny Pitts scored 11 points and only played 11 minutes. She is their freshman power forward who shoots over 40 percent from 3-point range. She shoots a ton on them, and we can’t lose her. It’s paying attention to that scouting and not having those brain lapses where we lose people.”

Good. I hope they’re so focused on Pitts that they leave Wagner open for 5-6 made threes. Pick your poison, Bluder.
 

Good. I hope they’re so focused on Pitts that they leave Wagner open for 5-6 made threes. Pick your poison, Bluder.

We need this W to keep our hopes of a tourney appearance alive. It seems the sessions with Whalen and Banham were helpful. Keep it rolling Gophers !
 

Starting out slow similar to the game against Rutgers. It's early but it's not looking good.
 

Bell has decided to me-ball but it's working for now.
 



Hubbard with one of the worst wide-open layup misses I've ever seen.
 

Gophers getting ticky-tack calls going against them.
 

Nice buzzer beater three at the end of the quarter (it went in).

24-19 Iowa end of Q1

Gophers defense got plenty of deflections. Just weren't able to secure the ball and convert them into turnovers.

Bell 11 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast

Meyer & Coley 6 pts ea
 

This is difficult to watch. Edwards with her 4th foul and it’s the 2nd quarter.
 



Only taken 4 three point shots, our bread and butter.
 

48-33 Iowa at the half

Iowa bringing the energy and playing smarter (Bell).

Wagner 2 pts from 2000. I guess she'll make it there in this game.
 


Iowa the house of horrors continues. Nobody can make a layup or defend the paint. Recipe for disaster. Coach Stollings usually has goals for the game, I wish when they are on the road one of the goals should be no turnovers in the first minute, seems to be their calling card when playing on the road.
 


Wagner practicing the mid-range shots in the halftime warmup.
 


Gustafson is scorching Fernstrom, but Stollings is leaving her out there.
 

68-57 Iowa end of Q3

Was hoping we could get it down under 10

Iowa, please get tired.
 


Got it down to 7 pts, but there's only 2:36 left.
 

Wow. I guess when you look awful your last home game and barely beat Michigan St, the refs come to your rescue. 21 fouls to 12 at this point. Iowa with 2 players with 3 fouls, gophers have 2 posts fouled out. Easy to see that Bluder let the officials know what their marching orders were for the day. also Iowa had a combined 4 3-pointers their last two games but of course had 6 in first half. Add in 5 missed free-throws, this game is easily one gophers could of stolen if refs didnt have Iowa's back. Im pretty sure at one point in the third quarter they called the gophers for a foul after they made a basket 4 or 5 times in a row. Lastly, give me a break with any of those no name players scoring anything of their bench. players wont score vs another team in the conference.
 

I've never seen Coley hit this many shots.
 


Man. if they wouldn't have dug that big gopher hole at the start of the game.
 

I usually don't complain about the refs, but plenty of home cooking in this one.
 

Fouls today were brutal. So was our defense. Some real questionable calls if you ask me from the officials. We probably needed to go at Gustafson more when we were on offense just to try and get her in foul trouble and a seat on the bench. Gustafson while great, was basically at her average. Coley really killed us. Iowa basically told us before the game they would be guarding the 3 ball, and we took a less than our season average. Our counter to that seemed to be guard penetration with the hope that the guards could win their one on one battles. Not a lot of creativity. The lack of balance in the paint using our posts was probably the difference in the game. I would have thought that even with some low or high post touches, we could have spaced, back cut, or kicked out for some shots. Anyway, bummer that this probably cost us the NCAA, so I won't be claiming any moral victory's by making it a game at the end. Bummer
 




Top Bottom