By Matt Cozzi
matthew-cozzi@uiowa.edu
Who needs Jaime Printy, anyway?
OK, that couldn’t be further from the truth in terms of the Iowa women’s basketball team.
But one wonders if the Iowa offense will keep producing at a consistent enough rate to win games down the stretch and remain in NCAA Tournament contention.
The Hawkeyes did just that on Thursday night in a 75-58 win over Minnesota at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, again softening a blow caused by the news of Printy’s season-ending ACL tear last week. After all, Iowa is on a four-game win streak and two of those victories are without its star player.
If we’re going to be realists here, let’s remember Printy was averaging just under 17 points per game and ranks 10th all-time on Iowa’s career scoring list — as a junior, no less.
But if four-year starter Kamille Wahlin controls the tempo of the game like she did on Thursday, good things should happen.
If freshman Samantha Logic scores by both driving to the basket and hitting outside shots, good things should happen.
If Morgan Johnson executes on the boards and makes a fair amount of baskets near the rim — she recorded 23 points and pulled down 8 rebounds — good things should happen.
So Iowa has a clear theme: With the amount of talent on the roster and with proper execution, the Hawkeyes will win the games they should win, just like they did on Thursday night.
There are always those key words: If. Should. Potentially.
But head coach Lisa Bluder’s squad has been there, and accomplished that. Iowa has had countless knee injuries over the last four seasons, but has made the NCAA Tournament each of those years.
There’s already optimism from these last four wins. The Black and Gold are shooting a combined 44.4 percent during the win streak. They outrebounded three of the four opponents, and have had leads of 18, 8, 21, and 25 points, respectively during the contests.
Aside from Wahlin, Logic, and Johnson, Iowa’s supporting cast is slowly but surely meshing. Melissa Dixon scored 19 points in her first collegiate start last week against Indiana, and chipped in 7 points and 4 rebounds on Thursday.
Dixon has proven to be a force beyond the arc when she wants to, and doesn’t appear to be slowing down. Add in the occasional burst of energy from Theairra Taylor, Bethany Doolittle, Trisha Nesbitt, and Kalli Hansen, and Iowa still has a little bit of depth.
Back to these four straight wins, though. Remember that two of them have come without Printy. If Iowa wins two of its next four, plus a game in Indianapolis at the Big Ten Tournament, a fifth-straight Big Dance isn’t out of the question. It’s actually pretty likely.
Bluder is even positive about it.
“I think we have a good feel right now. We’ve won four in a row, and we’re playing at home again [on Feb. 12 against Michigan State],” Bluder said. “I think we’re positioning ourselves well for these last games going into the Big Ten Tournament.”
That they are. Even without Printy.
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