Regular Season Begins Next Saturday
Kearney, Neb. – All-Americans Caitlin Clark and Monika Czinano combined for 34 points to help fourth-ranked Iowa win an exhibition game over Nebraska Kearney, 108-29, Friday night in Iowa City.
This was the Lopers 25th exhibition game against a Division I school with Iowa having downed D2 Truman (Mo.) State, 102-32, last fall.
UNK trailed 12-6 midway through the first quarter on the strength of threes from seniors Elisa Backes (Salina, Kan.) and Klaire Kirsch (Rapid City, SD). Iowa then revved up its offense and grabbed its first double digit lead, 19-9, soon after and never looked back.
Clark went for 18 points, eight assists, four defensive boards and a steal in 18 minutes with the 6-3 Czinano going 7 of 7 from the field and 2 of 3 at the line to tally 16 points in about 14 minutes of work. Off the bench, the Hawks got 18 points from 6-2 freshman post Hannah Stuelke with 10 others getting into the scoring column as well.
Iowa natives Meg Burns and Shiloh McCool were at six points apiece as was Backes. Burns and Backes both went 2 for 3 from behind the arc with McCool grabbing six rebounds (three offensive) and drawing four fouls. Next, Kirsch had six rebounds (four offensive) with Lincoln redshirt freshman guard Jillian Aschoff at four points and two fouls drawn. Finally, Iowa native Sarah Schmitt had two assists, two rebounds and a steal.
Iowa shot 69% (42 of 61) from the field, had a 44-25 rebounding advantage and took advantage of 23 turnovers. UNK grabbed 11 o-boards and limited the Hawks to an 8 of 23 effort from downtown.
UNK heads to Kansas City next weekend to face the Southern Nazarene (Okla.) Crimson Storm and then West Texas A&M Lady Buffs. Both teams won over 20 games last season.
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