No. 4 Iowa women’s basketball was upset by Kansas State, 84-83, in Manhattan, Kansas, on Thursday night.

The Hawkeyes held the lead for nearly 34 minutes, but the Wildcats kept the Hawkeyes from getting too far ahead throughout the contest. 

Kansas State took the lead when guard Gabby Gregory hit 1-of-2 free throws with 4.7 seconds remaining. Hawkeye guard Kate Martin fouled out on that play. The foul came just four seconds after Martin was tied up, prompting a jump ball call to give the Wildcats possession with 8.5 seconds left.

Gregory scored 24 points on the night and went 12-for-14 at the line.

“This is one we should have gotten, we could have gotten,” associate head coach Jan Jensen said on the Hawkeye Radio Network postgame show. “We just aren’t quite there physically, and I don’t think we were quite [there] mentally either. So, we’ll keep going back to work.”

Jensen said the Hawkeyes had trouble running their offense properly. On defense, they struggled to contain the Wildcats.

“I think the glaring thing was we couldn’t keep the ball in front of us,” Jensen said.

Iowa suffered its first loss of the season on Thursday night, moving the Hawkeyes to 3-1 on the season. 

Clark injured in final seconds

Junior guard and reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Caitlin Clark went down with an ankle injury in the final seconds of the game. She was helped off the floor by trainers.

Jensen said Clark should be OK and that she was up and walking around in the locker room.

ESPN reported Clark left the Iowa women’s basketball locker room with an ace bandage wrapped around her left ankle. She was walking without any aid.

Just now, @CaitlinClark22 exited @IowaWBB locker room for long walk up Bramlage Coliseum ramp to bus at K-State. Left ankle wrapped in ace bandage, and she was walking gingerly but without any aid.

— Michael Voepel (@MAVoepel) November 18, 2022

Point guard showcase

Clark and Kansas State sophomore Serena Sundell both had standout games.

Despite the injury, Clark finished the game with a double-double, recording 27 points and 10 rebounds. She also grabbed seven assists, and finished the game shooting 6-for-17 from the floor with three turnovers.

Sundell scored 24 points with six rebounds, five assists, and a pair of steals.

Two-headed monster

Clark and fifth-year senior Monika Czinano combined for 55 points on Thursday. Only one other player — McKenna Warnock — scored more than 10.

Jensen said the Hawkeyes needed to be better at getting the ball to Czinano, who shot 8-for-11 for 18 points from the floor on the night.

Up next

Iowa will return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday to take on Belmont at 2 p.m. 

Belmont sits at 1-2, losing its last two games against Louisville and Middle Tennessee.