Wednesday March 29th Local Sports

DALLAS — The Iowa women’s basketball team held its first practice in Dallas Tuesday afternoon leading into Friday night’s NCAA Final Four game against top ranked South Carolina.

That’s Iowa coach Lisa Bluder. It is Iowa’s first trip to the Final Four since 1993 and the first for Bluder whose head coaching career began at St. Ambrose in 1984.

Bluder says she has heard from a number of former players over the past couple of days, including several who played for former coach C. Vivian Stringer.

Friday night’s game will feature the reigning national player of the year in South Carolina center Aliya (uh-lee-yuh) Boston and the favorite for this year’s award in Hawkeye guard Caitlin Clark. Bluder says they are different types of players.

The Hawkeyes are 30-6 heading into the national semifinals.

You can hear the Iowa-South Carolina game on AM-1300 KGLO starting with the pre-game at 7:45 with the tipoff coming sometime after 8 o’clock.

 

 

 

DALLAS — Junior guard Caitlin Clark could be the second Iowa player in four years to be named the Naismith (nay-smith) Women’s College Player of the Year when the winner is announced in Dallas this(Wednesday) afternoon. Clark averages better than 27 points and eight and-a-half assists for a Hawkeye team that is 30-6 and plays top ranked South Carolina in the Final Four Friday night. Clark plays with emotion and can be fiery but says it all stems from the joy the game brings her.

Clark says basketball is more than wins and awards.

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder says Clark’s stardom comes at the right time. Television ratings are surging and next week’s national title game will be carried by ABC.

Bluder says Clark enjoys performing on the biggest stage.

Bluder says Clark is excelling in the spotlight.

Iowa center Megan Gustafson was named the Naismith Award winner in 2019.

 

 

 

CEDAR FALLS — Northern Iowa football coach Mark Farley believes the Panthers have enough depth to close out spring drills with an intrasquad game. UNI is scheduled to close out drills the night of April 21st in the UNI-Dome.

Farley says they hope to make it as game-like as they can.

Farley says the depth for the Panthers is the best it has been since before the pandemic.

UNI was 6-5 last season.

 

 

 

FORT MADISON —- A pair of NIACC golfers finished third in their individual events on Tuesday at the Iowa Wesleyan Spring Tiger Classic in Fort Madison. On the women’s side, Alyssa Alert tied for third with an 84. Also for NIACC, Sophie Lunning had an 89, Kirsten Boerjan a 91, Karissa Hoon a 101 and Emma Weiner a 102 as NIACC finished third as a team with a 365, 28 shots behind champion Waldorf. On the men’s side, Kai Nelles had a 74 to tie for third as NIACC finished fourth with a 310, 12 shots behind champion Waldorf. Also for NIACC, Bryce Malchow had a 75, Jackson Koebernick a 77, while Elic Fjetland had an 80. Both NIACC teams return to action on April 7th and 8th at the Iowa Central Spring Invitational.