Marshall adjusting to college game quickly
Gabbie Marshall has provided Iowa women’s basketball with a sharpshooter off the bench early this season.
Iowa guard Gabbie Marshall dribbles during a women’s basketball match between Iowa and Clemson at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019. The Hawkeyes defeated the Tigers, 74-60.
December 5, 2019
Success in high school doesn’t always carry over to college. But for Iowa women’s basketball freshman Gabbie Marshall, that doesn’t seem to be the case through her first eight games.
Marshall has not only made an impressive impact individually, but one that is important for the team. She is averaging 8.3 points per game, fourth on the team, even though she’s come off the bench in every game but one.
What’s more impressive is how she has received over 50 percent of those points. Thirty-four of her points have come from behind the 3-point line. She is shooting almost 45 percent from that distance this season. She has hit three 3-pointers in four different games, including Wednesday’s victory against Clemson.
“It makes it so much easier when you have such good guards that can set you up for the three,” Marshall said. “I mean, it just takes confidence, so whenever I step on there, I know [to] shoot or [not] shoot. There could be off days, but I just try to do other things to help the team.”
A player Marshall looks up to at Iowa is senior guard Kathleen Doyle. With Doyle playing the same position, Marshall learns and gets encouragement from her.
“It’s just so much easier when you’re playing with such a good group of girls,” Marshall said.
Another player who has been in Marshall’s situation is senior guard Makenzie Meyer. She understands that it’s an adjustment for players to go from high school to college with the higher level competition and speed of play. With that, she is proud of how Marshall has started her college career.
RELATED: Ollinger, Czinano dominate inside in Iowa win over Clemson
“I just love her presence on the court,” Meyer said. “I think she reminds me of Tania [Davis] a little bit with just the calm presence, and she does a really good job of not turning the ball over, which I think is really unique for a freshman. I think as a freshman, myself, I definitely struggled with that. She has a great basketball IQ, and she definitely deserves the role she has been carved into.”
This was a good season for Marshall to come into the program if she wanted playing time right away. With the loss of three seniors from the previous seasons, the four freshmen on the team have had to step it up.
Head coach Lisa Bluder has been especially impressed with Marshall, along with her teammate in the backcourt McKenna Warnock.
“We felt like coming into this year, the sooner that our freshmen embraced and felt a part of it, the quicker we were going to become a better basketball team,” Bluder said. “I think they’re understanding it now and realizing that we are counting on them even though they are freshmen.”
