As if playing 3 games in three days wasn't enough test of endurance, Iowa [and also GW] played an extra quarter (double over-time) yesterday. Iowa seemed to endure the challenge better than GW did. After getting off to an early 12 point lead in the first quarter over Wright St, GW slipped a bit in the second and third quarters and then got beat badly in the fourth quarter and lost. Iowa, on the other hand was able to build a 15 point lead by half time and then hold on through the second half.
Carly's 11 points came in 19 minutes of play. Both career highs I believe. This could be just a glimpse of her future as a Hawkeye.
The Hawkeyes are relatively young and inexperienced and this is still early in the season, so they are still in the early stages (steep portion) of the learning curve. That fact has a couple of implications. First, the team will have different players (other than perhaps Ally) step up in each game (rather than the same 4 or 5 like the last couple years). Another obvious effect is that as the season progresses, the team should continue to improve significantly with each game. Finally, a trend that I predicted before the season, Iowa may have only three players average double figures in scoring, but have four or five players scoring in the upper single digits as a result of the better balance and sharing of playing time between the starters and the bench.
Dispite the heartbreaking loss to GW, which was not unexpected by me, they nearly won and really could (some might say should) have won, I was only slightly disappointed (mostly because they lost a double digit lead in the third quarter) but also still very encouraged by their furious comeback in the fourth quarter. I was also encouraged by the potential they showed throughout the Lone Star Showcase.
I would really like to make the trip to Charlottesville this next Wednesday night, but it is a two and half hour drive for me in rush hour traffic, so it is maybe a 50/50 possibility at best.
Regardless, go Hawks!
