By the numbers | Iowa women’s basketball matches up against Maryland in Big Ten finals

As the No. 1 and No. 2 top offensive teams match up, the Big Ten championship game will be a high-scoring affair.

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Kate Heston

The Iowa Hawkeyes celebrate their win aganst Michigan State after the semifinal game of the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament. Iowa, ranked No. 6, took on No. 7 seeded Michigan State in Indianapolis at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse Friday afternoon. The Hawks beat the Spartans, 87-72, advancing the Hawks to take on Maryland Saturday in the Big 10 finals.

Chloe Peterson, Sports Reporter


INDIANAPOLIS — For the second time in three years, Iowa women’s basketball is headed to the finals of the Women’s Basketball Big Ten Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

After upsetting No. 3 seed Rutgers in the quarterfinals on Thursday and taking down seventh-seeded Michigan State in the semifinals on Friday, six-seed Iowa will take on defending champions Maryland at 1 p.m. CST Saturday. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

Here’s how the numbers stack up for the Hawkeyes ahead of their title battle with the Terrapins:

2019 — Last time Iowa appeared in the title game

Iowa last played in the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament in 2019, when the two-seeded Hawkeyes won, 90-76, over the top-seeded Terrapins.

In the win, former two-time Big Ten Player of the Year Megan Gustafson tallied 45 points to propel Iowa to the title.

Since joining the conference in 2014, Maryland is a perfect 7-for-7 in championship game appearances. In seven years, the Terrapins have won the Big Ten tournament four times, which were in 2015-17 and 2020.

One — Starter who played in the 2019 Big Ten Tournament

Junior center Monika Czinano is the only person in Iowa’s starting lineup that played in the Hawkeyes’ 2019 title-winning tournament.

In 2019, Czinano only saw the court for 3:05 in the title game. This time around, Czinano will have a larger impact, as she is Iowa’s most efficient shooter.

In the three games of the 2021 Big Ten Tournament, Czinano has lived up to her No. 1 national ranking in field goal percentage, going 38-of-49 from the field for a 77 percent field goal percentage.

Seniors Alexis Sevillian and Zion Sanders were also on the team in 2019, but neither Sevillian nor Sanders has seen time on the court in the 2021 Big Ten Tournament run.

Redshirt sophomore Kate Martin, who is in the Hawkeyes’ starting five, was on the team in 2019, but was out the entire season with an ACL tear.

Two — Double-doubles by Clark

After seven double-doubles throughout the 23-game regular season, freshman Caitlin Clark has posted two in the past three games.

In a time that Clark says she has “a lid on the rim,” the point guard has found other ways to contribute to the Hawkeyes.

In the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal game against No. 3 seeded Rutgers Thursday, Clark bucketed 21 points and had 10 assists on the night. She posted similar stats on Friday against No. 7 seeded Michigan State, tallying 20 points and 11 assists on only three turnovers.

Sophomore forward McKenna Warnock also recorded a double-double Friday, accounting for 17 points and 11 rebounds.

111 — Points scored by Maryland in February matchup

The No. 1 and No. 2 scoring offenses in the country did not disappoint in their only regular-season meeting in the 2020-21 campaign.

As the top-scoring team, Maryland averaged 91.3 points per game in the regular season. The Hawkeyes cemented their spot directly behind in the No. 2 spot, with an 87.2 points per game average.

In Iowa’s road game against Maryland Feb. 23, the Terrapins soundly defeated the Hawkeyes, 111-93.

The Hawkeyes matched up with the Terrapins through most of the game, outscoring the Terrapins by two in the final 30 minutes. But the disastrous first half proved to be Iowa’s downfall, as Maryland was able to take a 20 point lead after 10 minutes, 41-21.

17 – Days since Cook tested positive

Junior forward Logan Cook tested positive for COVID-19 on Feb. 25, forcing her to miss the final four games of the regular season and the first three games of the Big Ten Tournament.

Per Big Ten protocols, athletes who test positive need to sit out for at least 17 days and pass multiple health screenings before playing again.

Saturday is the first day that Cook is available to play for the Hawkeyes, giving Iowa another solid player off the bench for the Big Ten championship game.