How concerned should Iowa women's basketball be after narrow win in NCAA first round?
After a 40-minute survival effort against FDU, Iowa women's basketball still has everything out in front. But how concerned should the Hawkeyes be?
IOWA CITY — Unexpectedly having to dance around disaster when the NCAA Tournament lights flip on isn't usually a recipe for rational reactions. Nuance tends to fade when the season dangerously dangles over the edge, especially when the expectations and seeding are as high as they are for Iowa women's basketball. At the same time, entirely chalking up a dicey performance to the madness of March can gloss over glaring areas of concerns.
Such is reality for the No. 2 seed Hawkeyes after needing a 40-minute survival effort against No. 15 seed FDU in the opening round on March 21.
The 58-48 win inside a jam-packed Carver-Hawkeye Arena was an uncomfortable sweat, both literally and figuratively, as on-court temperatures pushed 90 degrees with no air conditioning in the building on an unseasonably hot afternoon in Iowa City. With less than 48 hours until the Hawkeyes' season goes back on the line in the second round against No. 10 seed Virginia (Monday at 1 p.
m. CT, ESPN), where should Iowa's appropriate level of concern lie? The reality is this youthful core needed to feel this level of March tension up close and personal — and not just a coach or veteran teammate uttering words of wisdom.
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