Following win over No. 2 Ohio State, No. 10 Hawkeyes bring 5-game win streak into meeting against Huskers

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - The Iowa women’s basketball team extended their win streak to five straight. In addition, the Hawkeyes picked up back-to-back road victories, which included handing No. 2 and unbeaten Ohio State their first loss on the season.

”Every time you do something hard, it makes you better,” Iowa women’s basketball head coach Lisa Bluder said.

With their win over the Buckeyes, the Iowa women’s basketball team moved into a first place tie in the Big Ten Conference. The victory was a little more personal for Ohio native Gabbie Marshall, but the Hawkeyes celebration was short.

“I feel like you can’t get too high or too low. Obviously, that was an awesome win and we wish we could celebrate for a long time, but it’s just onto the next. I feel like that’s what it is in the Big Ten,” Marshall said.

Iowa has won 11 of their last 12 games, but they haven’t come easy. Even without senior starter McKenna Warnock due to a rib injury, the maturity of this team has been on full display.

“In the third quarter, we didn’t score for like 7 minutes and we still found a way to get out of that quarter. We were still up by two,” redshirt senior guard Kate Martin explained in their meeting against Ohio State. “That should show us that even if we’re not scoring, even if we’re not shooting how we want to, we can find a way to win.”

Against the Buckeyes, Iowa’s leading scorer Caitlin Clark registered her eighth career triple-double. Her tag team partner, Monika Czinano, has only missed two shots in the last two games.

“For the last two years, she’s been a 68 percent shooter, which is quite honestly unbelievable to do that two years in a row,” Bluder said. “But 92 percent is just a whole different level. She has gotten into foul trouble, so maybe less time has helped her a bit. Possibly being forced to the bench because of foul trouble, has helped her be more efficient when she is in.”

Iowa has rarely been rattled on the road.

“It’s like a home crowd almost at a lot of away places,” said Martin. “It’s cool to see Hawk fans everywhere we go.”

The team credits the Carver crowd to how they play in loud environments.

“We’re used to it. Some people aren’t used to it,” Bluder said. “You’re used to the noise and how to communicate when there’s that kind of noise. You can kind of fool yourselves to think they’re cheering for you,” she added about road environments.

They’ll need a loud crowd as the Hawkeyes look for their seventh straight victory over the Huskers on Saturday. Tipoff is set for noon.

“[We’re} definitely going to have to play from the outside in. They are a really good three point shooting team and when they’re on, they’re on. They’re lethal from the three point line,” Martin said.

“I think our three point defense has got to be really, really important,” Bluder added.

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