By Vickie Sellers
4 5 2024
GAME NOTES (PDF)
https://storage.googleapis.com/hawkeyesports-com/2024/04/1cf1f4fa-iawbb23_notes_ncaaf4.pdf
THIS WEEK
1-Seed Iowa will face 3-Seed UConn in the National Semifinal of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. (CT) inside Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleve- land, Ohio.
WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG
» Friday’s contest will air nationally on ESPN, the Hawkeye Radio Network, and Sirius XM Channel 84.
AUDIO COVERAGE
» Rob Brooks and Tiff Reedy will call the action on the Hawkeye Radio Network.
» Brooks is in his eighth year as the play-by-play announcer for the Iowa women’s basketball team. He has been Iowa football’s sideline reporter since 2004. Brooks has called seven different Iowa sports on radio or television.
» Reedy was four-year letterwinner from 2002-06 at Iowa and is a native of Dysart, Iowa.
THE SERIES
» The Huskies lead the all-time series, 6-3.
» In the last meeting, UConn beat Iowa in the Phil Knight Classic in Portland, 86-79.
SCOUTING UCONN
» Paige Bueckers led the Huskies back to the Final Four after scoring 28 points and lifting UConn to a 80-73 win over Southern California.
» This is the Huskies’ 23rd National Semifinal, the most of any school.
» UConn is 7-1 on a neutral floor this season.
» Connecticut’s path: 14-Seed Jackson State, 6-Seed Syracuse, 7-Seed Duke, and 1-Seed Southern Cal.
IOWA’S 1-SEED HISTORY
» The Hawkeyes have been a No. 1 Seed in the NCAA Tournament three times in school history. (1988, 1992, and 2024)
» Iowa is 6-2 all-time in the NCAA Tournament as 1-Seed.
» UI has never played in the Final Four as a No. 1 Seed.
2023 NCAA TOURNAMENT IN REVIEW
» Clark became the first player in DI women’s basketball history to notch a 1,000+ points and 300+ assists single season in 2023. Clark is closing in on that this season.
» Clark produced the first 40-point triple-double in men’s or women’s NCAA Tournament history against UL. (41p, 12a, 10r)
» Against Louisville and South Carolina, Clark was the first player to net back-to-back 40-point performances in the NCAA Tourney.
» In month of March in 2023, Marshall was 23-of-47 from deep.
WHAT 2 WATCH 4
» Clark has three 40-point double-doubles in an NCAA Tournament setting (Elite Eight, 2023; National Semifinal, 2023; Elite Eight, 2024).
» Iowa is 9-4 when Clark records 40 or more points.
» Marshall is 24-of-50 from deep in the last seven games.
» Clark has 66 career games with 25+ points, 5+ assists, and 5+ rebounds. (NCAA Best)
» Over the last 25 seasons, no has recorded more 30+ point games in men’s or women’s college basketball than Clark. (58)
» Martin has recorded 15+ points in 17 games this year which is a career best.
» Clark has eight games of 10+ assists in the NCAA Tournament. (NCAA Best)
» Since 2019, the Hawkeyes are 15-4 in the NCAA Tournament.
» Martin and Clark have started 137 consecutive games together the longest streak by any Division I duo in the last 25 years.
» Iowa is 5-0 when Martin records a double-double in 2023-24.
» Clark has 21 games in her career with 35+ points, 5+ assists, 5+ rebounds which is the most in women’s college basketball since 2009.
» Clark has registered 25+ points, 5+ assists, and 5+ rebounds in 24 out of the last 30 games.
» Among active players whom didn’t transfer, Marshall (128) and Martin (125) are third and fourth nationally for most active wins in a career.
GROUP EFFORT
» Since Davis’ injury, Affolter is 30-of-53 from the floor, 9-of-15 from three point range, and 25-of-28 from the charity stripe.
» Iowa broke the Big Ten’s single season record for 3-pointers made which was set by Iowa (350) a season ago. They Hawkeyes have made 410 treys this season.
» Iowa has made 76 three-point baskets in postseason play.
» Stuelke is 29-of-40 from the free throw line the last seven games.
» Since February, Iowa is shooting 187-452 from three.
» Iowa has assisted on 66% of its field goals this year.
LISA BLUDER’S LEGACY
» Bluder owns 18 AP Top 10 wins which is the most in program history.
» Has the 10th most wins in Division-I women’s basketball history and is third among active DI head coaches. (883)
» Bluder is 22-17 all-time in NCAA Tournaments at Iowa.
» Owns the most Big Ten conference wins in conference history.
» Won seven Big Ten titles. (5 BTT’s and 2 Regular Season)
» 1-of-27 Division I women’s basketball coaches to win 20+ games in the NCAA Tournament at one institution. » Coached two consenus National POYs.
» Has coached the Hawkeyes to back-to-back Final Fours.
» She has led UI to the Sweet 16 (2021), Elite Eight (2019), National Championship (2023) in three out of the last four championship seasons. (Covid)
» Owns eight straight 20-win seasons. It is the longest streak in her career, C. Vivian Stringer had 10 consecutive 20+ win seasons from 1984-94.
COURTESY IOWA ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
GAME NOTES
https://uconnathletics.box.com/s/pyb17vvt3jvh32wp3caaf4qbpb8926ix
CLEVELAND – The third-seeded UConn women’s basketball team (33-5) faces off against No. 1-seed Iowa (33-4) in the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship Final Four on Friday at 9:30 p.m. in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The game will air on ESPN, the UConn Sports Network from Learfield (FOX Sports 97-9) and Westwood One.
UConn enters the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed for the third time in program history (1991, 2005). This is UConn’s 35th overall and straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, dating back to the 1988-89 season. UConn is 136-23 overall in the NCAA Tournament, which is the winningest record in the sport. The Huskies have advanced to the NCAA Final Four for a record 23rd-straight time. UConn is 12-10 all-time in the Final Four game.
Redshirt junior Paige Bueckers notched 28 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and three steals to lead the Huskies past top-seeded USC, 80-73, in the Elite Eight. Senior Aaliyah Edwards notched 24 points and six rebounds in the win. The Huskies shot 48.3% in the game and used greater than 50% field goal shooting in the second half to take the lead. Bueckers was named the Portland 3 Region Most Outstanding Player while Edwards was selected to the All-Tournament team.
UConn is 6-3 all-time vs. Iowa. The Huskies have won the last six meetings between the teams and the current UConn roster is 2-0 vs. Iowa. This is the second NCAA Tournament meeting for the teams after facing off in the 2021 Sweet 16, a 92-72 UConn win.
Iowa advanced to its second-straight Final Four with a 94-87 win over No. 3-seed LSU in the Albany 2 Region. The Hawkeyes are led by Caitlin Clark, who’s the nation’s leader in points (32.0) and assists (9.0). Iowa leads the nation with 91.9 points per game. Head coach Lisa Bluder is in her 24th season at Iowa.
COURTESY UCONN ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
