The sixth ranked Iowa Hawkeye women will need to beat a pair of top ten foes this week to grab a share of the Big Ten regular season title. The Hawkeyes visit seventh rated Maryland Tuesday night and need a victory to set up a Sunday showdown against second ranked Indiana. The Hawkeyes are second in the league race at 14-2. Maryland is a game back at 13-3.

That’s Iowa coach Lisa Bluder. Maryland has not lost since a 96-82 setback in Iowa City earlier this month.

Bluder says the have prepared by studying the first meeting as well as what the Terps have done the last few games.

The Hawkeyes enter having won 11 of their last 12.

That’s Hawkeye guard Kate Martin

Two starters for the Iowa women’s basketball team announced they will take advantage of their COVID year and return next season. Gabbie Marshall has started all 27 games and averaged four and a half points per game and Kate Martin averages seven points per game and is second on the team in assists.

Marshall says as the season progressed it became clear to her that she wanted to return.

Marshall calls Martin the emotional leader of the Hawkeyes.

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder was hoping both players would decide to return.

The sixth ranked Hawkeyes visit number seven Maryland Tuesday night. Senior forward McKenna Warnock will not take advantage of her extra year. She has applied to dental school.

Iowa State hopes to finish the Big-12 race on the road like it started. The 23rd ranked Cyclones won their first two conference road games but since then have dropped five straight and in many of those faltered after leading at halftime. They visit eighth ranked Texas Tuesday night after a 61-55 loss at Kansas State.

That’s ISU coach T.J. Otzelberger who says there are a number of factors involved in their second half struggles.

The Cyclones are 8-6 and tied for fourth in the Big 12. The Longhorns are tied for first with Kansas at 10-4.

The Texas guard combination of Marcus Carr and Sir’Jabari Rice is averaging just over 29 points per game.

Otzelberger says the Cyclones will need a big defensive effort.

Otzelberger says they hope to have senior guard Caleb Grill available against the Longhorns. He missed the game at Kansas State with a lingering back injury.

The Cyclones beat the Longhorns 78-67 in Ames back in mid-January. ISU senior guard Jaren Holmes.

Holmes says success against Texas will begin on defense.

Senior center Osun Osunniyi  has been saddled with foul trouble in recent road games. he is hoping to do a better job of guarding without fouling.

Osunniyi says it will take a 40 minute effort to get a win.

All games at 7:00 p.m.

Class 1A District Finals

District 13

Lenox vs. Grand View Christian (@ Creston)

District 14

ACGC vs. Coon Rapids-Bayard (@ Hoover High School)

District 15

Exira-EHK vs. West Harrison (@ Harlan)

District 16

Bedford vs. East Mills (@ Shenandoah)

Class 2A District Finals

District 13

AHSTW vs. Van Meter (@ WCV, Stuart)- ON KJAN

District 14

Des Moines Christian vs. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (@ Oskaloosa)

District 15

West Sioux vs. Central Lyon (@ MOC-Floyd Valley)

District 16

Treynor vs. Underwood (@CB Abraham Lincoln)

The Atlantic boys basketball team rallied from down 20 points in the first moments of the third quarter to take a lead multiple times down the stretch, but ultimately fell to Glenwood 60-55. The Rams made enough big plays down the stretch to grab the 3A Substate 8 Quarterfinal win and end the Trojans season.

Glenwood led 32-14 at halftime as the offense sputtered for Atlantic. The Trojans only had 2 points in the second quarter. After Glenwood hit the first bucket of the second half to go up 20, the Trojans started their response. Atlantic chipped and chipped away until they got within 5 at the end of the third 37-32. The Trojans would eventually take a three point lead twice early in the fourth quarter but the lead didn’t hold. Glenwood’s Caden Johnson hit two big fourth quarter threes and dropped in an and-one opportunity to boost the Rams. Johnson also went 9 for 9 at the free throw line in the second half. Up one with 20 seconds left Glenwood was able to sneak Gavin Schau down the court on the inbound and the Rams hit a home run pass to him for a layup to help secure the win. Colton Rasmussen’s long three attempt to tie was a touch strong and the Rams got two free-throws from Kayden Anderson to seal it.

Atlantic head coach Derek Hall was proud of the fight his team showed after a rough first half.

Colton Rasmussen had 16 points for the Trojans and Nolan Waters added 14. The Trojans end the season at 7-15. Coach Hall said the team battled through some close losses throughout the season.

Glenwood was led by 22 points from Johnson and 8 from Logyn Eckheart. The Rams improved to 15-7 on the season and will host Harlan on Thursday night at 7:00pm in the Substate 8 Semifinals.

Class 3A Substate Quarterfinals

Substate 8

Bondurant-Farrar 90, Carlisle 44
Clarke 71, Creston 63
Glenwood 60, Atlantic 55- ON KJAN
Harlan 54, Lewis Central 43

Substate 1

Webster City 63, Gilbert 60
ADM 42, Denison-Schleswig 37
Bishop Heelan 49, LeMars 47
Carroll 65, Sergeant Bluff-Luton 40

Class 4A Substate Quarterfinals

Substate 1

Norwalk- BYE
Sioux City West 69, Sioux City North 46
Sioux City East- BYE
Johnston 78, CB Thomas Jefferson 37

Substate 8

Waukee- BYE
Urbandale 69, Des Moines East 44
CB Abraham Lincoln- BYE
Dallas Center-Grimes 73, Des Moines North 63

Atlantic senior Brooke Thompson has signed on to continue her dance and academic career at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs.

Thompson signed at Atlantic High School on Monday morning surrounded by family and instructors.

Griswold senior McKenna Wiechman has signed on to continue her academic and basketball career at Southwestern Community College in Creston.

Wiechman led the tigers this past season with 8.7 points an 4.5 rebounds per game.

Wiechman signed surrounded by family and coaches at Griswold High School.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa Sophomore RHP Brody Brecht has been named the D1Baseball Pitcher of the Week, it was announced Monday.

The Ankeny, Iowa, native was perfect in his season debut and second career start throwing five innings and retiring all 15 batters he faced including 10 via strike out. The strikeouts and innings pitched were both career-highs for Brecht.

Brecht and the Iowa pitching staff combined for a 0.96 ERA over opening weekend, the fourth lowest in the nation. The staff allowed 5.14 hits per nine innings ranking 12th nationally, and had a 0.89 WHIP the 15th lowest in the nation.

The dual sport athlete was named a preseason Third-Team All-American by Baseball America and was named a freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game a season ago.