Iowa women’s basketball won a close game against Rutgers, 90-84, to extend its home court win streak to 41 games at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes sit at 6-1 on the season and 2-1 in the Big Ten.

Rutgers scored first to start the game, but Iowa went on a 13-2 run through the first quarter. With three minutes left in the first, freshman point guard Caitlin Clark made a step-back 3-point basket to put Iowa up 18-12. Clark also recorded a steal in the first, but was not able to convert on the layup. 

At the end of the first, Iowa led, 28-12. Sophomore forward McKenna Warnock recorded 12 of those points on 4-5 shooting from the perimeter. Rutgers struggled with traveling violations and turnovers in the first, recording six turnovers compared to one from Iowa.

In the second quarter, the Scarlet Knights responded with a 15-1 run while Iowa committed six turnovers in four-and-a-half minutes. Iowa was on a scoring drought in those minutes, as Rutgers cut its deficit to four points. Clark ended Iowa’s drought with a free throw shot with just over two minutes left in the second quarter. 

The Rutgers defense came to life in the second, recording eight steals and forcing the Hawkeyes to commit nine turnovers in 10 minutes.

With a minute left in the first, sophomore guard Kate Martin rebounded a missed 3-point shot by Clark and converted it to a layup of her own. On a Rutgers turnover, Warnock followed that up with another 3 points.

At halftime, Iowa led, 42-40. 

To start the second half, the Scarlet Knights converted on a layup to tie the game at 42. On the next possession, Clark hit a 3-point shot on the shot clock buzzer to put Iowa in the lead again, 45-42.

With just under five minutes left in the third quarter, Clark committed her sixth turnover of the game by accidentally stepping off the court. The Scarlet Knights converted a 3-point shot on that turnover for their first lead of the game since early in the first quarter, 51-52. The lead only lasted a couple seconds, as Czinano scored on Iowa’s next possession to put Iowa back up by one.

The Hawkeyes and the Scarlet Knights traded the lead near the end of the third, and with two minutes left in the third, Iowa sophomore guard Gabbie Marshall made consecutive shots from the perimeter to give Iowa a five point lead.

To start the final quarter, the Scarlet nights went on a 6-0 run to bring the game within one, 63-62. After an early Iowa timeout. Warnock was fouled on a layup, and sunk her free throw to extend Iowa’s lead, 66-62.

At the timeout with 5:29 left in the game, Iowa led, 69-66.  The game stayed within five points until the last minute. With a minute left in the game, both Clark and Czinano found themselves in foul trouble, with four apiece.

With 38 seconds left in the game, Martin hit a 3-point shot to put the Hawkeyes up 84-78. The Scarlet Knights followed that up with a shot from the perimeter to bring Rutgers back within three.

As Rutgers took its final timeout with 11 seconds left, Iowa led, 88-81.

Iowa only gave up its lead once throughout the game, and although the Scarlet Knights came within two points many times, the Hawkeyes came out on top.

Turnovers proved to be an issue for both teams, with the Scarlet Knights turning the ball over 14 times and the Hawkeyes committing 19 turnovers.

Clark had eight of Iowa’s turnovers, and ended the day with a team leading 28 points, along with six rebounds, and six assists.

Warnock ended the night one rebound away from a double-double, with a final line of 18 points, a team-leading 9 rebounds, and one assist.

The Hawkeyes get back in action in the New Year, matching up against Illinois on Sunday at 1 p.m in Champaign.