In the middle of an up-and-down 9-9 season, the Gophers had an opportunity to get a signature win against rival Iowa but struggled to find any rhythm falling 105-49.
As the Gophers are entrenched in Big Ten conference play, Wednesday night marked a great opportunity to earn a marquee victory against No. 25 Iowa and the nation’s leading scorer Caitlin Clark (25.6 PPG).
Minnesota deployed a starting lineup that has grown to be the norm. Veteran guards Jasmine Powell and Sara Scalia were joined by Deja Winters on the wing, while Kadi Sissoko and freshman Alanna Micheaux rounded out the frontcourt.
After a serious offensive struggle out of the gate for the Gophers, Iowa quickly jumped out to a 20-6 lead. Minnesota responded with a 7-0 run to close the half, led by five points from Alexia Smith off the bench.
It looked as if Minnesota was playing itself back into the game, cutting the Hawkeyes’ lead to 25-19 early in the second quarter, but Iowa responded with an 8-0 run of its own.
The Gophers would have no answer for 2021 All-America guard Caitlin Clark, as she went for 21 points, five assists and two rebounds in the first half, and Iowa led 47-34.
Iowa blew the game open in the third quarter. A 21-2 run had the Gophers looking overwhelmed, quickly falling behind 71-41.
By the time the final quarter began, Minnesota put itself in a large hole, trailing 84-46. Iowa’s Clark led the Hawkeyes’ with a remarkable triple-double performance, recording 35 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists and the Gophers fell 105-49.
It was a major mismatch for the Gophers in the post, ultimately being outscored 54-20 in points scored in the paint and getting out-rebounded 50-23 for the game.
Minnesota just ran into an offense firing on all cylinders. The Hawkeyes’ 40-68 shooting from the field and 9-18 from three-point range would be a tremendous obstacle for any team to overcome.
Life in the Big Ten rolls on for Minnesota, as it travels to East Lansing for a road matchup on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. against the 9-8 Michigan State Spartans and the nation’s ninth leading scorer Nia Clouden (21.3 PPG).