Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On March 12, 1988, C. Vivian Stringer’s Iowa Hawkeyes closed out a 27-1 regular season with an emphatic 98-50 win over Wisconsin at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The team finished the season with an appearance in the Elite Eight.
Entering Coach Stringer’s fifth season, the Hawks entered the season with sky-high expectations. Ranked no. 6 in the preseason poll, Michelle ‘Ice’ Edwards, Iowa raced out to a 22-0 state, which included wins over top-ranked Texas, no. 2 Auburn, no. 6 Virginia, and no. 8 Ohio State. The Buckeyes got revenge in a late February matchup in Columbus, but otherwise, the Hawks stayed perfect through the end of the regular season.
The Hawkeyes rose to the No. 1 ranking, the first for a Big Ten women's program, and held onto that perch for eight weeks. After finishing the conference season 17-1, Stringer, Edwards, and the Hawks were crowned Big 10 Champs, and they prepared for the NCAA tournament.
Ranked No. 2 in the final three AP polls, the Hawkeyes received the No. 1 seed in the West region of the NCAA tournament. Iowa defeated No. 8 seed, 19th ranked Stephen F. Austin and No. 4 seed, 15th ranked USC to reach the regional final. Iowa faced a team they defeated earlier in the season, No. 2 seed and 7th ranked Cal State Long Beach, but they were beaten by 20 points in a virtual home game for the team from Long Beach. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
