BY SIRAJ 22-03-2024
IOWA CITY — For a few days now, Iowa women’s basketball has known when and where it would play its first 2024 NCAA Tournament game.
Now the Hawkeyes know who they are playing.
In a matchup of 16 seeds, Holy Cross and UT Martin squared off at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Thursday night for the chance to get a shot at the formidable Hawkeyes in the round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament.
Holy Cross earned that opportunity, knocking off UT Martin, 72-45.
“This group is so special and we love each other so much,” Holy Cross coach Maureen Magarity said. “We just didn’t want it to end. We didn’t want it to be our last practice. We didn’t want it to be our last shootaround. We didn’t want it to be our last game.”
Holy Cross stormed out to an early lead, making four 3-pointers by the first media break, and they never let up. There was not a single second that Thursday’s Crusaders were behind.
With a 46% field goal percentage and a 38% three-point percentage, Holy Cross put on a spectacular offensive show. Holy Cross, meanwhile, limited UT Martin to 26% shooting and 1% deep. As of Thursday, the Crusaders’ opponent scoring average was a mere 56.2 points per game. That figure only got better following Thursday’s impressive defensive performance.
BY SIRAJ 22-03-2024
Cara McCormack, the Holy Cross guard, was fantastic. She made 7-of-10 shots from beyond the arc, contributing to her 23 points. In her past twelve games, she has managed to score more than ten goals eight times.
On Thursday, Bronagh Power-Cassidy, another Holy Cross guard, displayed some skill, albeit inefficiently. On 6-of-15 shooting, Power-Cassidy scored fifteen points. Over her past nine games, she has scored in double digits on two separate occasions, with 30 points being her highest total. She hit a deep seven out of ten during one of her tantrums.
Holy Cross came into Thursday averaging less than 63 points per game and shooting 32.9% from outside the arc, so Thursday’s offensive performance was an improvement over their typical play.
On Thursday, though, McCormack and Power-Cassidy shown that they can make a game-winning play under pressure. Holy Cross has an experienced backcourt that Iowa’s guards like Gabbie Marshall, Caitlin Clark, and Sydney Affolter will have to slow down.
Coach Maureen Magarity of Holy Cross has done an outstanding job leading the program in her four years as head coach. For the third year in a row, the Crusaders finished with 20 victories. The 2022–23 season was Holy Cross’ second-most winningest in program history with 24 victories.
“I think something special about our team is that family atmosphere,” he added. And I think coach Magarity is the one to blame. She is very dear to all of us. She’s incredibly amiable. I also think it’s crucial that we have a close relationship with each of our coaches. Before games, I think we all look forward to seeing her. She inspired and energized us throughout the playoffs, and I think that was particularly true in this game.
Holy Cross is making its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance this year. Maryland defeated the Crusaders 93–61 in the previous season.
After defeating UT Martin, Holy Cross will face another Big Ten team in the Big Dance this season. However, there have been bumps in the road during the season. Cross had a winning streak of nine games at one time. Unfortunately, the club promptly began a losing streak that would last four games.
The Crusaders, on the other hand, hit their stride just when it mattered most, going on to win the regular season finale and three games in a row to win the Patriot League Tournament and secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament.
The Crusaders will face Iowa at 2 p.m. (ABC) on Saturday, riding a five-game winning streak after Thursday’s victory.
For their game against Iowa, “We have to fight and try to figure out ways to just get possessions,” Magarity stated. I can assure you that we will be well-prepared. We are prepared. Not to mention, it will be an incredible adventure. Having the chance to play on Saturday is, I think, a major accomplishment for everyone involved.
Many members of the Iowa women’s basketball team, including head coach Lisa Bluder and Clark, were in attendance at Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the first half of Thursday’s game.
Both Clark and the Iowa program have been the center of attention due to her meteoric rise to fame. Despite this, the Hawkeyes have fulfilled nearly all predictions, with the possible exception of winning the Big Ten regular season.
At this very moment, the Hawkeyes have an outstanding record of 29-4. Their recent hot streak included six victories, three of which were en route to a Big Ten Tournament championship. That includes the championship game against Nebraska, when, against all odds, they rallied to come back from an eight-point hole with under three minutes to go in regulation.
“I think our players have watched a lot of Caitlin Clark,” said Magarity. She has done so much for basketball in general and women’s basketball in particular, and for that, we are eternally grateful. Of course, we need to do our best to control her touching. However, even after that, she remains one of the greatest passers I’ve ever witnessed; she’s simply one of those rare, exceptional players. Thus, Caitlin is central, but the team’s success is also due to the many individuals she can pass the ball to.
However, the NCAA Tournament is a defining event for any team's heritage.
There’s still a ways to go, but Iowa will give it its all to do what it failed to do last year. With a loss to LSU, the Hawkeyes’ miraculous journey to the national championship game came to an end, despite their best efforts, which included defeating powerhouse South Carolina.
Is Clark’s supporting cast strong enough to hold their own? What if Clark isn’t able to handle it all by herself? Will there ever be a point where the pressure becomes too much?
Making it to Cleveland for the Final Four should be no picnic. But now Iowa has all the information they need to get started: this Saturday at Carver, they’ll play Holy Cross.
