Senior Sweep: Hawkeyes Hold On Against Cyclones
AMES, Iowa — Kathleen Doyle remembered her first win over Iowa State as a freshman.
The Iowa senior guard recalled that associate head coach Jan Jensen coming over to her and saying it was the first of four wins she would be getting over the Hawkeyes’ rivals.
Doyle said she had been thinking about that since that comment back in 2016.
“Which is probably too long to think about it,” Doyle quipped.
“For me, it was with 1.9 seconds left tonight,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said, so caught up in the rivalry game that she didn’t tap into the memory bank.
But this was one to remember. Doyle and the other seniors, guard Makenzie Meyer and guard Amanda Ollinger, got their four.
Iowa’s 75-69 win at Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday gave the seniors a sweep, and they each contributed in different ways.
Doyle led the Hawkeyes with 21 points. Meyer had 18.
“Don’t forget Amanda,” Meyer interjected to a question in the post-game press conference.
Yes, there was Ollinger, who fouled out with two points … and a career-high 20 rebounds.
“I just kind of … jump,” Ollinger said when asked about her board work.
The Hawkeyes (7-2) fought off every run from the Cyclones (6-2).
“There were momentum shifts in the game,” Bluder said, “and we didn’t let it get to us.”
It was Ollinger’s birthday, and each rebound, she said, was a gift.
“I just knew my role,” she said. “Sometimes the ball falls right to you. That’s how it was for me.”
“She was outstanding on the glass, and (with her) defending,” Bluder said.
The two teams were tied at 48 at the end of three quarters, but Iowa took control by scoring the first seven points of the fourth quarter, the last three coming from guard Tomi Taiwo.
Taiwo, who had played just 55 minutes all season and had just one 3-pointer, had three in this game, every shot coming at a key time.
“She was so cool about it,” Bluder said. “Which was so fun.”
The closest Iowa State would get the rest of the game would be four points.
“They played like the tough-minded, experienced kids they are,” said Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly. “You have to give them credit — they were the better team tonight.”
Iowa held the Cyclones to just 31.9 percent shooting.
“We know it can get really loud when they get easy buckets and go on runs,” Doyle said. “We tried to minimize that. I think we were really locked in defensively.”
It was an emotional night at Hilton — Bill Fennelly’s father, William, died on Wednesday morning, and before and after the game Bluder and her assistant coaches hugged Fennelly.
“They couldn’t have been more gracious,” Fennelly said.
“I can’t imagine coaching a game after losing his father today,” Bluder said.
Doyle was smiling at her memory from four years ago. The last seniors to leave Iowa without a loss to the Cyclones was the Class of 1990.
“It’s just really cool,” Meyer said. “Wins at Hilton come few and far between.”
“It’s a big deal,” Bluder said. “We’re going to enjoy it.”
