Tonight, against the reigning March Madness champion Florida Gators, Folgueiras pointed to his father just once all game. But with 4.5 seconds to play, down by two points, he hit the game-winning shot, the shot of his life, and connected with his father once more.

After a great defensive stand from Iowa in the waning seconds, the final buzzer sounded. 73-72. Hawks win. And for the first time since 1999, Iowa punched their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen.

Folgueiras celebrated briefly with his teammates before booking it over to the stands. There, his mother Beatriz awaited. Friday’s round one game was the first time she’d seen him play in an Iowa uniform in person. Tonight was the second. It’d been two years since they said “I love you” face-to-face.

“Having my mom here, she’s everything for me,” Folgueiras said with a smile after the game. “I’m so lucky to have her as a mom.”

The 6-foot-10 junior finished the magical night with 14 points, second in scoring behind Tavion Banks with 20. Bennett Stirtz, Iowa’s consistent scoring leader, was ice cold all night, shooting 0-for-9 from behind the arc. Ultimately, of course, that lack of scoring from the captain didn’t matter.

“It was my teammates tonight,” Stirtz said. “We’re just so unselfish.”

Ironically, it was Stirtz who dished the final assist to Folgueiras to win the game. Practice what you preach.

This year has been up and down for the Hawks. A new head coach. Close games against #1 Michigan. Abysmal losses to Penn State, who ranked last in the big ten. But this month is in a league of its own. And Folgueiras, tonight, felt the madness more than anyone.

“March is for the dreamers,” he said. “And there’s no better dreamer than us.”

The post No Better Dreamer Than Us appeared first on KRUI Radio.

“I’m calling both games” is also the rationale I gave to my professors on why I skipped both of my classes on Tuesday, February 17th.

I blame the baseball team.

See, it was only supposed to be basketball. Iowa vs Nebraska, 8 pm. Well after both classes would have ended for the day.

The baseball home opener was supposed to be a week later on February 24th, but they saw an opportunity to fit a game in between their season opening tournament in Arizona and their first weekend series against Florida Atlantic. That’s how Division III UW-Platteville found themselves in Iowa City for what would turn out to be a historic beatdown.

Of course, we didn’t know that going in. The Hawkeyes lost three midweek games last season and had just allowed 13 runs to Northeastern on Sunday, so we figured the final score might end up something like 13-5 Iowa.

With first pitch at 3:00 pm, five hours before tip-off for basketball, we jumped at the opportunity to be there and were rewarded with 50 degree weather.

That’s important because all KRUI baseball games are called outdoors. Color commentator Logan Melia and I were planning to call the February 24th game regardless of the weather, so we really lucked out.

“God, the pop of the mitt, Ryan. I’m tickled to be back,” Logan said after the first pitch.

Four innings later, with the score 17-0 in favor of Iowa, his enthusiasm had dampened, as had his nose, which was running relentlessly. 

“Once your team scores the 22nd run, you start thinking: ‘let’s wrap it up’. It gets to a point where you pretty much know what team’s going to win and that point was reached probably about three hours before the end of the game,” Logan said later that day.

Morale dropped to mutinous levels after the seventh inning concluded and Iowa was up 27-3, when the usual 10 run mercy rule was not applied.

At that point, the sky had undergone a transition from light gray to baby blue to orange and pink and purple before the sun finally disappeared for good. Without it, the wind that had been chilly all game became a polar vortex.

When I turned to Logan and said “sounds like we’re playing two more”, his agonized response was a sign that we had seen enough and should head across the street to Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Overall impressions from the baseball team: don’t go to a game if you have something else to do later in the day. There will be a lot of runs scored at the Banks this year.

Next, we met up with Cole Krueger, who I would be calling basketball with. 

At the start of the season, nobody thought never-won-a-march-madness-game Nebraska would be ranked top 10 in the country in late February. But as the Huskers kept winning and Iowa hung around in the standings, it quickly shaped up to become the biggest game of the year so far for the Hawkeyes.

And man did they need this one. We’d been saying they were going to get one of the two home games against Purdue and Nebraska, though last Saturday’s demoralizing 78-57 loss to the Boilermakers cast some doubt on that theory.

Where Nebraska had wins over highly ranked Illinois and Michigan State teams, Iowa was a team without a signature result on the season. They’d had chances, like having halftime leads against Iowa State and Purdue on the road, but had never capitalized. Worse, they had been struggling recently, with a bad road loss to Maryland and the aforementioned blowout at home to Purdue. 

Their most impressive game this season might have been outlasting a fiery USC team at the end of January, which was a game they were always supposed to win anyway.

But something flipped in this one, as the Hawks defensive intensity, coupled with a vicious crowd, frustrated the Huskers all night.

Head coach Ben McCollum has made a point to thank the fans after every game and let them know how important they are to the team. Although attendance has been up this year compared to last, I had yet to see a student section as packed as it was for this one. Filled in from top to bottom, clad in black. A healthy amount of Nebraska fans in red and white were scattered throughout the stands as well.

Pretty quickly, it became apparent that this was going to be the opposite of the baseball game earlier. Blowout vs nailbiter. Scoring at will vs a defensive slog. Can you believe that Iowa baseball scored more runs than either basketball team had at halftime?

Cole kept saying how it felt like Iowa could have been up 10, but both teams struggled from three all night. And in the second half, things began to get chippy. Multiple players went down away from the play, always without a whistle.

Down the stretch, as had been the case all year, Bennett Stirtz made the difference. With six minutes to go, he went down hard after contacting Brayden Frager on a layup. Then after a break that gave him a chance to walk it off, Stirtz hit a sidestep three in Frayger’s face to give the Hawks a 50-45 lead.

With Iowa up two scores and under a minute to go, the fans began to make their way to the staircases.

Not to go up and beat traffic. Down to rush the court.

Iowa fans have been starving for a storming opportunity. Twice during the football season they lined up against Indiana and Oregon, and twice they were sent home empty handed, watching their team lose the lead in the final two minutes.

Some icy free throws from Cooper Koch and Tavion Banks made it official. An outpouring of black engulfed the court to celebrate the Hawks’ first signature win in the Ben McCollum era.

Then, we quickly signed off the air and went down to join in on the celebrations.

“I just feel so lucky to have been there to see that game,” Logan said.

“It was just like a monkey off the back feeling,” Cole added.

Even though the team’s March fate still hangs in the balance, this one will go a long way to help them realize it.

The post I’m Calling Both Games appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Much of what lay inside was familiar. The smells of pizza, pretzels, and popcorn wafted through the air. A spread of gameday programs sat fanned out on a folding table. Concession workers and security stood in position.

But looking from the ledge of the concourse down at the court below, so much was different, too. A remodelled student section with expanded floor seating. Hundreds of yellow ties packaged in crinkly plastic bags glistening under the lights. 12 new players on a roster of 14 warming up on the court.

All this at the discretion of the Hawkeyes’ new coach, Ben McCollum.

For McCollum, this offseason has been focused on the fans. Righting the wrongs of the past. 

“Our goal is to get Carver-Hawkeye Arena filled back up,” he said during his introductory press conference.

The bleachers were emptier than normal last year, as fans grew tired of Fran McCaffery and the mediocrity consuming the Iowa Men’s Basketball Team. 

Attendance dwindled. Losses stacked. Opinions soured.

McCaffery’s final minutes on the court concluded with a pair of technical fouls in quick succession, an ejection, and a solemn walk into the tunnel. His team played out the final 13 minutes of their season without him, ultimately losing 106-94 to Illinois in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. McCaffery was fired less than 24 hours later.

And then came McCollum. 

Born and raised a Hawkeye fan, he developed a reputation as a fiery head coach and a serial winner over 15 seasons and four Division II national championships at Northwest Missouri State. 

And in his lone season at Drake, he led the Bulldogs to a 31-4 record, a Missouri Valley Conference championship, and a March Madness win. 

But now at Iowa, beyond recruiting players, McCollum had to recruit fans back to a program that turned its back on them.

When he walked into Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the first time back in March, McCollum passed through a gathering of students and fans sporting plain white dress shirts and yellow ties, emulating his signature look. He posed for pictures and signed apparel before heading up to the podium.

Then he spent the summer going to fan events and doing interviews, continuously stressing the need for fans to come out to games.

“It makes the environment so much more fun,” he said.

And after averaging just over 5000 fans a game last season, 9232 showed out last night against Robert Morris. That would have been the second most at any game last year.

“It was great. Energy was great.” point guard Bennett Stirtz said.

Those that came saw high flying alley-oops, long three pointers, and a relentless hunger on defense not seen in Iowa City for a long time. A 17-2 lead built up in the first five minutes blossomed into a 101-69 win. A true team effort, with six players reaching double figures.

All six were transfers, with four: Bennett Stirtz, Tavion Banks, Cam Manyawu, and Isaia Howard, following McCollum from Drake.

As he went through the postgame handshake line, McCollum loosened his tie and ran over to the student section with his players, working his way around the perimeter of the court, high fiving, fist bumping, and handshaking everyone he could in the process.

“You gotta show them you appreciate them. I really, truly believe they need to be in it with us,” he said.

And he asked for one thing in return.

“Keep coming through the goods and the bads. It’s not gonna be perfect. It’s not gonna be like this every night, but it can be really special if we have them on our side.”

One down, 30 to go. A new era of Hawkeye basketball is underway.

The post A New Era appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Bringin’ In Brazil:

It’s not uncommon for a WNBA team to host a national team in the preseason. In fact it happens quite a bit. Today’s game pit the Indiana Fever against the Brazilian Women’s National Team. Highly anticipated, but not a close match. In the 108-44 beatdown, the Fever slaughtered Brazil. But this game wasn’t played in Indianapolis, where the Fever normally reside. It was played in Iowa, the same state where Caitlin grew up, and in the same arena she knows so well. When Fever president Kelly Krauskopf called her with the idea months ago, she couldn’t wait to come back. 

“I did not expect it to happen this year,” Clark said during the pre-game press conference, “I was so excited, and I knew Iowa and Fever fans would be thrilled.”

Both fanbases certainly were. The WNBA rookie of the year in 2024 had 16 points, adding six rebounds and five assists to her scoresheet for the day. In typical Clark fashion, she wasn’t satisfied.

“I did alright,” Clark said in an interview with ESPN following the game. “We’ll clean up some stuff.”

If the shoes fit:

Caitlin packed three pairs of shoes for this trip. She made sure all of them had a little yellow. But the ones she slipped on this morning felt familiar. 

“They’re kind of like my magic shoes,” she said, smiling. “I’ve worn these for literally every big game of my career. There was no other option.”

In November of 2020, Nike released a Bruce Lee collaboration with the Kobe 5 Protros. Not only are they black and yellow, but the shoes also feature a small hint of Fever red. When they first dropped, sneakerheads snagged them for just under 200 dollars. Now? They resell for an average price of 582 big ones, not far off from the cost of admission for today’s game. 

“They were pretty hard to come by,” she said, laughing. 
Both the shoes, and the tickets. 

Woodn’t have it any other way:

A small piece of Carver’s wooden court will always belong to Caitlin. Just beside the infamous Mediacom logo, a black “22” marks the spot on the court, about 35 feet from the hoop. Beneath it, one name: Clark. It commemorates her record-breaking shot on Feb. 15, 2024, the night she became college basketball’s all-time leading scorer. That historic three-pointer against Michigan was one of many, but unforgettable.

Coming into this game, fans couldn’t help but think about it. And with 25 seconds left in the third quarter, it happened again–kind of. Catching an inbound from Bree Hall, Clark pushed up across the floor. In a near carbon copy of her iconic moment, she pulled up. Only this time, it was a single step farther out.

“36 feet…that’s far,” Clark said, smiling as laughter filled the media room. “I knew I was coming out, so I figured, why not?”

It wasn’t scripted. It rarely is. Knowing she’d be subbed out, Clark did what she always does. She let it fly.

As her coach Stephanie White put it, “Nobody tells Steph Curry not to take good shots.”

For one more look back:

Hats, jerseys, and shoes flail over the railing of Carver’s tunnel. Miniature hands dangle Sharpies, posters, and dreams—hoping to meet the sweaty fingers of Caitlin Clark. Fans press against the barrier, shrieking her name.

One parent holds a sign that reads, “Adults can have role models too.”

Even Brazil’s National Team, after a 64-point loss, waited their turn. When Clark asked if this was the biggest crowd they’d ever played in front of, a resounding “yes” echoed at center court. They posed for photos with her one by one, as if she were a golden monument. Above them, high in the rafters, hung the banner bearing the number she made iconic. No. 22. Still stitched in black and gold, still watching over the court she once ruled—and the one she returned to, if only for a day.

“I don’t know if it’ll be next year,” she said. “But I would love to come back.”

She’s not Iowa’s anymore. But she always will be.

The post Back Home: Caitlin Clark Returns to Carver appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Here’s what to know, some fun facts, and some key matchups from Selection Sunday.

Key Matchups

First, let’s discuss some of the most prominent and difficult games to pick in this bracket. These are great first-round matchups that could welcome some fantastic moments.

8. Louisville Cardinals (27-7) vs. 9. Creighton Bluejays (24-10)

South Region – 3/20, 11:15 PM CST – CBS – Lexington, Kentucky

This was a shocking reveal. Both teams were runner-ups in their respective conference tournaments, both conferences weighted heavily, and yet they both have lower seedings. Louisville was a projected 5-seed after finishing last season with an awful record of 8-24. Now led by National Coach of the Year Finalist Pat Kelsey, this team is ready to make some noise. They average 78.6 points per game and have a BPI ranking of 28. However, Creighton coach Greg McDermott makes every game terribly difficult on opposing coaches. They have similar numbers with the Cardinals, averaging 75.2 points per game. If you were to ask me, I would lean towards Louisville. Point Guard Chucky Hepburn is a leader on the court, and I believe the whole team will be able to adjust and command the game where needed.

Louisville opens up as 2.5 point favorites.

5. Michigan Wolverines (25-9) vs. 12. UC San Diego Tritons (30-4)

South Region – 3/20, 9:00 PM CST – TBS – Denver, Colorado

A Golden Rule when filling out a bracket is to pick a 12-seed over a 5-seed. It seems each year, there is one 12-seed everyone loves to pick, and this year, it is UC San Diego. They are one of the strongest 12-seeds in history. This will be a matchup in Quadrant 1 between Michigan and UC San Diego, which is not typical at all for a 5-seed vs. 12-seed. Michigan is coming off a Big Ten Tournament Championship win. While it was a sloppy win against Wisconsin, it probably should have moved them up to a 4-seed. It also should have allowed them to avoid the Tritons, which was a projected matchup for some time now.

UC San Diego won the Big West Championship and is riding a 15-game winning streak. This is also their first appearance in March, as it is also their first eligible season after moving up from Division II just four seasons ago. UC San Diego is averaging 79.8 points per game while allowing just 61.6 points per game. The major talk with this potential upset is Michigan’s immense turnover struggles, as UC San Diego forced turnover margin is frightening for Wolverine fans. In my opinion, I am definitely taking this into account as I lean the Tritons way, though Michigan and Dusty May are red hot as of right now.

Michigan opens up as 3.5 point favorites.

6. BYU Cougars (24-9) vs. 11. VCU Rams (28-6)

East Region – 3/20, 3:05 PM CST – TNT – Denver, Colorado

OFFENSE! These are two teams who love to score buckets all game long. BYU averages 81.0 points per game, while the Rams average 77.4 points per game. BYU’s Big XII Tournament game against Iowa State was extremely eye-opening, as they got past the Cyclones with 18 made shots from beyond the arc. VCU is led by Ryan Odom, the coach who led UMBC to be the first ever 16-seed to upset a 1-seed against Virginia in 2018. The Rams are one of the best defensive teams inside the perimeter, and they hold a BPI ranking of 34. While this is perfect to test a smaller BYU roster, if the Cougars continue to make the 3-point shot as consistently as they have been, their size should not be an issue, and I would not be surprised to see them make a deep run in March. Also, some extra advice, pick an 11-seed over a 6-seed just like people say to pick a 12-seed over a 5-seed. All four 6-seeds have not won in the first-round of the same bracket since 2004.

BYU opens up as 3.5 point favorites.

7. Marquette Golden Eagles (23-10) vs. 10. New Mexico Lobos (26-10)

South Region – 3/21, 6:25 PM CST – TBS – Cleveland, Ohio

The third game from the South Region. Good luck picking these games. This one, for the record, may be the most awkward to pick. An inconsistent Big East team facing a wildly under-appreciated Mountain West squad. Marquette lost six of their last ten regular season games, though four of those games were against St. John’s and UConn. They also have not beaten a top 50 team since January 3rd, with a home win against Creighton. New Mexico enters the field with some notable wins under their belt as well. They’ve taken down other tournament teams including UCLA, VCU, San Diego State, and Utah State, and have six top 50 victories. The Lobos are also led by Mountain West Coach of the Year Richard Pitino, son of legendary head coach, and current head coach of St. John’s, Rick Pitino. Using the “eye-test,” I believe Marquette is more battle tested and will be able to spread the floor more than the Lobos though.

Marquette opens up as 3.5 point favorites.

5. Clemson Tigers (27-6) vs. 12. McNeese Cowboys (27-6)

Midwest Region – 3/20, 2:15 PM CST – truTV – Providence, Rhode Island

Clemson, who lost to Louisville in the semifinals of the ACC tournament, is going to have to play a fantastic game to escape the Southland Champions McNeese. Clemson enters the tournament with a school record of 27 wins. They also recorded six losses, with three of their losses coming in overtime. This is a very consistent team that has found ways to win all year long. McNeese though, averages more points per game and allows less points per game than the Tigers. They are led by coach Will Wade, who has brought the team to its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. He is getting looks for a lot of high-level job openings, but is still looking to snatch the program’s first NCAA Tournament game win with McNeese. However, the Cowboys have lost the three games on their schedule against teams in the tournament field, those being Alabama, Liberty, and Mississippi State. While they have seven different players who average around 10 points per game, I think this is a game Clemson should do well in.

Clemson opens up as 7.5 point favorites.

Upsets to Watch For

4. Texas A&M Aggies (22-10) vs. 13. Yale Bulldogs (22-7)

South Region – 3/20, 6:25 PM CST – TBS – Denver, Colorado

Texas A&M has been one of the strongest teams this season, toppling some tall opponents. However, Yale head coach James Jones is one of the smartest and most strategic coaches out of the Ivy League. If any coach is ready to sit through the Aggies’ film, it’s Coach Jones.

6. Missouri Tigers (22-11) vs. 11. Drake Bulldogs (30-3)

West Region – 3/20, 6:35 PM CST – truTV – Wichita, Kansas

Drake has lost only three games this season. They solidified their March Madness appearance with the Missouri Valley Conference Championship, and are ready to make the noise they are absolutely capable of. However, Missouri was my preseason dark horse team with their incoming transfers, and they continue to get better. It’s set to be an interesting clash.

5. Memphis Tigers (29-5) vs. 12. Colorado State Rams (25-9)

West Region – 3/21, 1:00 PM CST – TBS – Seattle, Washington

Colorado State is hitting their stride at the perfect time and are now coming off a Mountain West Tournament Title. They are very suited to win multiple games in the tournament if they play up to par, and Memphis open up as only 2.5 point favorites.

Champion Favorites

Here are the two teams I have high expectations for and predict to win the National Championship.

1. Florida Gators (30-4)

Florida has some of the most impressive wins all year long. Beating Auburn, Tennessee twice, and Alabama twice. Scoring a plethora in all of those games really made me a believer. This Florida team seems unstoppable, and they would love to run it back to 2007. They have the third best offense in adjusted efficiency, and I do not think there are many teams in their path that can slow that down.

2. Houston Cougars (30-4)

Houston shoots the ball so well down the stretch. In March, the teams that make the sprint to the trophy will find themselves in very close contests. I believe Houston is extremely battle tested, and they have found ways to win plenty of tough games against great opponents. This alone gives me the idea that it may be their year to win it all. However, I think they will have an incredibly difficult matchup in the second-round with Gonzaga, which would be a top 10 matchup, so my theory may be tested extremely early. Their offensive pace is a little slower than the other top teams in the country, but they are still right there in the “Trapezoid of Excellence” which measures the country’s best teams by NET ranking and pace of place.

First-Time Dancers

Now for some fun. There are quite a few teams who will be learning how to groove for the first time in their program’s history, so here’s a quick look at their matchups.

12. UC San Diego Tritons (30-4)

The program has been eligible for the tournament for one season, and they jumped right at the opportunity. They’ll face 5. Michigan on Thursday, March 30th at 9:00 PM CST on TBS.

13. High Point Panthers (29-5)

This is another team I could see making a run, including an upset over their first round opponent 4. Purdue on Thursday, March 30th at 11:40 AM CST on truTV.

15. Omaha Mavericks (22-12)

Hide your trash cans! If the Big Sky Champs pull off the improbable upset, they’ll celebrate by smashing a trash can in their locker room. Their first tournament appearance sets them on a date with Rick Pitino’s 2. St John’s on Thursday, March 30th at 8:45 PM CST on CBS.

16. SIU Edwardsville Cougars (22-11)

I loved seeing head coach Brian Barone break out the scissors that he had framed to cut down the net after their Ohio Valley Conference Championship win. They’ll be in the Midwest Region against 1. Houston on Thursday, March 30th at 1:00 PM CST on TBS.

Happy researching, happy bracketing, and happy March as we watch our favorite stories of the year unfold in front of us and our brackets crumble. We Sleep in May.

The post 2025 March Madness Overview appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Midwest hip-hop duo Strangers of Necessity kicked off Mission Creek’s Friday evening at Gabe’s, bringing a perfect blend of positive energy, precise bars, and smooth production to the festival. The synergy between Iowa City based producer CoryaYo and Chicago rapper Fooch the MC was apparent throughout the set, with CoryaYo’s DJ Premier type beats providing the ideal foil for Fooch’s braggadocious flow. “Punishing rappers like I’m Frank Castle,” he raps on one early song. “Go against Fooch you might lose your nine lives,” he warns on another. Beyond snappy one-liners, he also excelled at interacting with the Mission Creek crowd. “Can I kick it?” he shouts, “Yes you can!” they respond. “Can I kick it?” he shouts again, “Yes you can!” they yell back louder. Fooch’s request to see hands in the air is also enthusiastically received, giving the show a dynamic, interactive feel.

Fooch is also cognizant of the night’s other big event in Iowa City. “We’re gonna keep the party going because I know you wanna watch the game and shit,” he says, referencing the much anticipated Final Four basketball match between the Hawkeyes and the University of Connecticut. Fooch even has bars for the occasion: “If I was in college ball I’d be Final Four, but this isn’t my final form” he raps later in the show.

While all their songs sound punchy live, it’s cuts from their 2020 release Vibe Theory that really stand out and get the crowd moving. The easygoing pace of “Fundamental”, which features CoryaYo on the mic, is followed by the huge bass of Vibe Theory opener “Incredible Flow” with Fooch rapping the song’s memorable chorus. “You digging with these vibes we giving?” he asks midway through the show. An enthusiastic ‘Yeah!’ is the resounding response from the crowd. It was Strangers of Necessity’s first Mission Creek appearance, but I certainly hope it won’t be their last.

Anthony Worden

“My name is Anthony Worden and I’m from Iowa City. So psyched you’re here. I love you guys!” Anthony Worden’s first interaction with the Mission Creek crowd underlines his genuine affection for the city, venue, and festival. He’s delighted to be playing Mission Creek at Gabe’s, and wants the crowd to know. Considering he grew up in Cedar Rapids and graduated from the University of Iowa, such a fondness for the region is perhaps expected, but it’s clear Worden’s affinity for Eastern Iowa is fundamental to his personality and music.

However, Worden’s show is, ironically, the victim of Iowa’s success. His band’s 9:00 PM slot at Gabe’s brutally clashes with the basketball, a cruel twist of fate he’s quick to acknowledge throughout the show. “The question we’re all wondering, who’s winning?” he asks midway through. “Aw man. Fuck UConn man,” he responses when the news isn’t good. Yet this conflict with the match is also a way of galvanizing the people in attendance, those who chose live music over televised sport. “You said no to the mass of people who wanted to watch the basketball,” says Worden proudly, “You just wanna rock! No TVs up here,” he laughs, although there is a mad dash to the screen on the floor below as soon as Worden’s set wraps at 9:30 PM.

Worden’s show is in many ways the product of transition. He has a new band: Joe Shanks on guitar, Lucas Adolphson on bass, and Chloe Weidl on drums. They sounded in perfect sync alongside Worden’s own distinctive vocals and guitar. He also has a new album, Plain Angels coming out on May 10th. Worden describes the album as a product of “work, personal grief, and collaboration. It’s my most personal record and musically my strongest.” This internal confidence shines through in his Mission Creek set, which thrilled the loyal Gabe’s crowd. My only regret was that thirty minutes wasn’t long enough to do justice to his four, soon to be five, albums. If that’s my sole complaint, then it was a damn fine rock show.

The post Mission Creek: Strangers of Necessity and Anthony Worden Thrill at Gabe’s appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The crowd got to work early, showing their love for head coach Lisa Bluder as she was honored before the game for her accomplishment in reaching 500 career wins. Even with all the excitement, it seemed the team were going to start out slow, with two turnovers to start the game and a few missed shots. However, who else would it be other than Caitlin Clark to hit a smooth three-pointer in transition to get things started. 

After that, it looked as if there had been no previous hiccups, as the team hit a total groove and started to dominate each phase of the game. They took advantage of a Bowling Green team who struggled offensively, and was just completely outmatched. 

The Hawks moved the ball at an incredible pace. They owned the perimeter and created open spaces for each other through their speed and ability to recognize the flaws in Bowling Green’s defense. This led to 29 assists as a team on the night for Iowa, as Bowling Green only had 9. On top of the major score margin, Iowa took over in almost every other category as well. A major difference was that they finished the game with a 66.7 field-goal percentage compared to Bowling Green’s 34.3%. Another reason for their total command of the game was their full ownership of the boards on both sides of the floor. Iowa out rebounded the Falcons 44-27, an impressive difference. 

However, there were some issues. Iowa did get through the Bowling Green defense exceptionally well, but they also committed 14 turnovers, one more than their opponent did today. Credit also needs to be given to the lead member of the Falcons cast today. Lexi Flemming led Bowling Green with 24 points and was the major reason they were not down even more so early on. Iowa’s defense has been slightly questionable up to this point, but outside of Flemming’s bigger performance for Bowling Green, they really kept everyone else pretty contained, as only one additional Falcon reached double figures. 

Even so, Caitlin Clark continued her show in front of a packed house with 24 points and 11 assists. Praise should also be shared to Addison O’Grady and Sharon Goodman. They were faced with a few extra challenges today without the help of Hannah Stuelke after she was ruled out, yet they still combined for 22 points. 

Kate Martin was the Hawks second highest scorer with 17 today, and really clicked with Molly Davis. Davis was unstoppable with the ball, and made some incredible passes. Her court vision was impressive and fed Martin a few times, passing and cutting through needle-sized gaps. Martin flew around the court on both offense and defense, and always seemed to find herself in the right spot to help the team. She was down the court quick for easy layups and snuck in for backside blocks. 

It was great to see the team click so well today because their next matchup will be much tougher. They will get their shot at the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series against Iowa State in Ames. That game will be on ESPN2 on Wednesday, December 6^th at 6:00 p.m. CT. 

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Filip Rebraca had a major bounceback game, scoring only seven against Rutgers on Sunday. Today, the Soaring Serbian had a double double, totaling 20 points and 10 rebounds, as well as two dunks. But the most electric moments came from #20, who put up 20 points himself. Payton Sandfort splashed in five of his seven three point shots, with his most spectacular one leading to a six point play. An and-one dagger, plus a Northwestern technical foul, and Sandfort made all three free throws to secure his six. Kris Murray, Tony Perkins, and Connor McCaffery also had double digit points, making it five Hawkeyes on the night to hit that mark. 

For the Wildcats, guard Boo Buie led the charge with 20. Buie was on fire from mid-range, with his trademark spin-fade accounting for half of his points. Buie also added three assists, and was perfect from the charity stripe shooting 7-7. Guard Chase Audige helped his team out with 14 as well, and led his team in minutes played with 37. Forward Nick Martinelli was third on the team, with nine points, going three for three from the field.

The Cats started strong on defense, but broke down trying to limit Murray, which opened up major opportunities for Sandfort and Rebraca, leading the Hawkeyes to a 16 point victory. There was a time where Northwestern looked to break it open, as Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery got a technical foul and led to two free points. But they were unable to capitalize much further as Iowa took a commanding lead due to a stretch of five consecutive made field goals. Northwestern drops to 15-6 with the loss, and goes to 6-4 in the Big 10. 

This much needed victory for Iowa snaps Northwestern’s three game winning streak, as the Hawkeyes move to 14-8 and break .500 in the Big 10. The Hawks also scored the second most points against the Wildcats since their loss to Pitt on Nov. 28, 87-58. Fran McCaffery and his team will face off next against the Fighting Illini on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 1:30pm.

This game will be Iowa’s third straight home game, featuring a black and gold spirit theme. And on the 30th anniversary of Chris Street’s passing, as his jersey number hangs high in the rafters, it’s clear that #40 was watching this “W” with an everlasting smile on his face.

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Ahron Ulis wasn’t too far behind with 16, while Tony Perkins and Connor McCaffery both had 11. But the man of the hour, Patrick McCaffery, had nine, as he was perfect from behind the arc (3-3). 

It was quite a sight to see in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, as this was Patty Mac’s first game back since Penn State on Jan. 1. The match had a white-out theme for Coaches Against Cancer, and the Iowa crowd showed out. McCaffery took a leave of absence for mental health reasons, supported fully by the Hawkeye fan base. After rumors of his return yesterday, McCaffery delivered in exciting fashion. 

For the Scarlet Knights, Aundre Hyatt led the team with 16, shooting 50% from the field. Rutgers’ big man Cliff Omoruyi was just a point behind with 15, as well as three blocks. Paul Mulcahy added 11, but completed the double double with 13 assists.

Despite the valiant performance, the Scarlet Knights travel back to Piscataway with one more loss than they wanted. This game makes them 14-7 on the season, and 6-4 in the Big 10 conference. 

The major keys today for Iowa were to break through Rutgers’ extremely tough defense, to stay hot from behind the arc, and improve from the charity stripe. In the Hawks’ most recent game against Michigan State, they lost a close one by two points, and went 6-13 from the free throw line.

In yesterday’s game, Iowa shot 85% from the line, a much improved percentage from their last bout. Throughout the season, the Scarlet Knights had only allowed an average of 58 points scored by opposing teams, displaying their suffocating defense. The Hawkeyes surpassed that in their first meeting on Jan. 8 by a score of 76-65, and smashed that total again today with 93. 

Iowa will take on the Northwestern Wildcats next on Tuesday, Jan. 31, in another Big 10 showdown. The Hawks were supposed to play Northwestern on Jan. 18, but the game was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. The Hawks will look to pile on a second consecutive win, but not if the 15-5 Wildcats have anything to say about it. With PMac back in uniform, Iowa will have a good shot at taking them down; but it won’t be easy.

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Clark finished the game with 33 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists, nearly making it a second consecutive triple-double. Alongside the star, center Monika Czinano tacked on 17 points, and freshman forward Hannah Stuelke added 12 more off the bench in the Hawkeye win. 

Nebraska had a glimmer of hope in the fourth quarter, pulling back within six points with only a couple minutes to play. But once again the Hawkeye defense remained stout. For the Cornhuskers, all five of their starters had 10 or more points. Shooting guard Sam Haiby led the charge with 16. Forward Isabelle Bourne was close behind with 14, and center Alexis Markowski had a double-double, finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds. 

The big key coming into this game for the Huskers was to limit Clark’s scoring. That strategy worked at first, but once number 22 got hot, it was all over. Czinano started off slow as well, succedding later in the game with some bread and butter assists from Clark. Guard Gabbie Marshall also contributed with five aggressive boards, helping Iowa to extend their lead to 16 at one point.

With the win, the Hawkeyes jump to 17-4 on the season, and 9-1 in the Big 10 conference. The Cornhuskers still keep a winning record at 12-9, but take yet another Big 10 loss. Nebraska is now 4-6 in the conference. 

Last year after a win over Nebraska, Clark had piled up two consecutive games with 30 points and a triple double. The only other players at any level to do that since 2000? LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Luka Doncic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. One more assist today and Clark would have done it again for a second straight season. 

With March Madness less than two months away, the Hawkeyes look for vengeance after an early exit to Creighton in 2022. Up next, the Hawks take on Maryland on Feb. 2 in Iowa City at 7:30pm, on National Women and Girl’s in Sports Day. It will be another opportunity for Clark to display her leadership amongst younger generations of basketball players around the nation. 

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