Iowa women's basketball falls to Virginia in NCAA Tournament | Dislikes, likes
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IOWA CITY — An inability to deliver in the clutch moments brought the Iowa women's basketball season to an end on March 23.
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The No. 2 seed Hawkeyes suffered an 83-75 loss to No. 10 seed Virginia in double overtime in the NCAA Tournament second round inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Iowa got the last shot at the end of regulation and to close the first overtime but couldn't convert either time.
Dislikes
Iowa looks overwhelmed in the clutch moments: This game was in the Hawkeyes' grasp until it wasn't. The final play at the end of regulation (more on that later) was a disaster. The struggles at the line could've put this away long before it got dicey late. Not totally surprising given the youth.
Iowa's free-throw shooting becomes a problem again: After the elbow to Stuelke was upgraded with 22 seconds left in the first overtime, the Hawkeyes had the chance for anyone to shoot the technical free throws. Wright went 1-for-2 at the line in that sequence, then went 1-for-2 immediately after on the ensuing possession after drawing a foul. With a chance to be up four with 18 seconds left, Iowa was instead up just two. That allowed Kymora Johnson to hit a runner that eventually tie the game with 13 seconds left. Iowa finished 8-for-16 at the line.
Iowa's final play of regulation: Who would take the final shot in a game-deciding situation didn't have a clear answer beforehand, and it unfolded exactly like that. With the game tied 57-57 and 10 seconds left, Wright looked for Heiden — who was double-teamed — for the bulk of that time. When it wasn't available, Wright was forced to throw up a wild shot that had no chance. A lack of offensive cohesion was apparent in that moment.
Iowa's inability to push things out when chances were there made this a frantic finish: The Hawkeyes had leads of seven twice and nine early in the fourth quarter, but couldn't deliver a knockout blow to prevent tension down the stretch. Consecutive Virginia treys knotted this second-round affair up with two minutes remaining. Those were the final points scored in regulation.
Ava Heiden's early foul trouble had Iowa out of rhythm offensively: After picking up her second foul with 5:28 remaining in the first quarter, Ava Heiden didn't check back in until 6:11 left in the second quarter. A stretch from Layla Hays didn't produce much, nor did inside looks to Hannah Stuelke. Even when Heiden was on the floor in the first half, constant doubling from Virginia's larger frontcourt made clean touches difficult. Heiden eventually fouled out in the second overtime.
Downtown woes continues: After going 1-for-13 from deep in its first-round win over FDU, Iowa's downtown struggles didn't disappear against the Cavaliers. A 1-for-12 showing from deep in the first half spearheaded a 5-for-29 showing overall, as the Hawkeyes never had any 3-point consistency.
Likes
Iowa's poise after falling behind four late in overtime: After Virginia leaned on a 6-0 run to grab a 63-59 lead with 1:56 remaining, the Hawkeyes' poise was tested significantly.. But Iowa responded with back-to-back buckets to pull even with 1:17 left.
Iowa's defensive intensity shines on final two possessions of regulation: Needing defensive cohesion in the biggest moments with the game tied, the Hawkeyes forced a shot-clock violation with a minute to go and got a steal on Virginia's final possession of regulation. That at least gave Iowa chance to win before overtime commenced.
Iowa's third-quarter surge flips momentum: Down five at halftime with little working offensively, the Hawkeyes came out of the locker room with clear urgency things needed to change. A 19-4 run to start the period flipped a 30-23 deficit into a 42-34 advantage with the building bumping. The Hawkeyes hit a pair of treys to open up things down low, where Ava Heiden was able to establish position much better en route to a 12-point quarter.
Hannah Stuelke empties the tank in her final game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena: Stuelke didn't check out for the first time until the final 30 seconds of the third quarter, finishing her final home game with 15 points and 19 rebounds. She grabbed a pivotal rebound late in overtime after taking an elbow to the chest on the offensive end, which was upgraded to a flagrant foul and keyed Iowa's eventual win.
Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa women's basketball falls to Virginia in NCAA Tournament | Dislikes, likes