Hawkeyes set for road trip to Michigan State
The undefeated Iowa women’s basketball team returns to Big Ten play on Saturday.
Iowa player Monika Czinano goes up for a basket during a women’s basketball game between Iowa and Iowa State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020. The Hawkeyes defeated the Cyclones in a close game, 82-80.
December 10, 2020
Coming off an exhilarating win against Iowa State, the 4-0 Iowa women’s basketball team is turning its attention back toward Big Ten play as they prepare for a Saturday showdown with Michigan State in East Lansing.
As they have all year, the Hawkeye will be out to prove the maturity of their juvenescent team. Head coach Lisa Bluder’s starting lineup is full of underclassmen, including three sophomores, a junior, and a freshman. Both of the seniors on Iowa’s roster do not start.
“Everybody keeps telling us we’re a young team, from every angle we’re being told ‘Oh, you’re so young,’” junior starter Monika Czinano said. “But in our circle, we do what we need to do. It doesn’t matter that we’re young. At the end of the day, we want to win. So, with that comes having to mature on the fly and I think our freshmen have done a great job of that.”
Czinano added that, in their comeback win against Iowa State, the Hawkeyes found the resilience it might take to get through the rest of the season. The Hawkeyes started the fourth quarter on Wednesday night down by 18 points, but they staged a comeback to win 82-80 in the last seconds of the game.
Bluder said her team wants “respect.”
“They have grit, they really do,” the coach said. “They play with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder.”
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After the Iowa defense struggled for most of the game on Wednesday, the team will have to focus on becoming more consistent in making stops and grabbing rebounds. Bluder noted inconsistent defense is something that comes with being a young team.
Michigan State is 3-0 on the season and opened Big Ten play on Wednesday with a win against Minnesota. While the Hawkeyes only have two days to scout, practice, and travel to East Lansing for the game on Saturday, the Spartans have the same amount of time to travel back from Minnesota.
“With every Big Ten game, we’re just going to have to lock in on scout,” Czinano said. “Especially a Big Ten game on the road, this will be another kind of learning experience for everybody. Big Ten games on the road are really hard. I mean, I haven’t had one yet with no fans, but no matter what you do, no matter where you go in the Big Ten, playing on the road is tough.”
Bluder said the toughest part of the quick turnaround the Hawkeyes are facing is coming back down to Earth after their big win against Iowa State.
“We get two days to prep, and that’s the same as Michigan State,” Bluder said Wednesday night. “It’s going to be hard because our players will have a hard time sleeping tonight. Quite honestly, after a win like this, it’s hard to go home and go to bed and get a good night’s sleep.”
Tipoff between the Spartans and Hawkeyes is scheduled for 12 p.m. The game can be streamed on BTN+.
