Intentional-foul call leads to frustration, but ‘wasn’t why we lost,’ Jan Jensen said

NORMAN, Okla. — It was one play in a 40-minute game, a game comprised of 100-plus possessions.

It also was a momentum-killer.

“I thought we had the momentum going our way for the first couple of minutes in the third quarter,” Iowa’s Kylie Feuerbach said.

Lucy Olsen closed the first half with a 3-pointer to get the Hawkeyes within 38-27, a manageable deficit.

Then Hannah Stuelke maneuvered the baseline for a reverse layup to make it 38-29 at the 8:51 mark of the third period.

But wait.

Oklahoma’s Raegan Beers laid in the lane, in obvious pain, holding her nose.

Officials halted play and checked the monitor.

Stuelke was subsequently called for an intentional foul, the new version of a “flagrant-1.”

Beers left the court, was replaced by Payton Verhulst, who made two free throws as Iowa Coach Jan Jensen voiced her displeasure.

OU’s Skylar Vann drilled a 3-pointer on the subsequent possession to make it 43-29, and any feel-good vibes Iowa had, were gone.

The Sooners pulled steadily away the rest of the way, and KO’d the Hawkeyes, 96-62, in Monday’s NCAA women’s basketball second-round women’s basketball game at Lloyd Noble Center.

In the postgame press huddle, Stuelke was the person that disputed the call least.

“I did get her with my elbow,” she said, insisting it was unintentional. “No, no, I would never do that on purpose.”

It was a defining, deflating moment, and the Hawkeyes couldn’t recover from it.

“Like I told the team, this certainly wasn’t (indicative) of the way we’ve been playing,” Iowa Coach Jan Jensen said.

The Hawkeyes’ frustration level mounted as Oklahoma (27-7) pulled away. Jensen was whistled for a technical foul with 1:04 left in the third quarter, with the Sooners in command, 63-41.

Jensen was asked afterward if she received any clarification on the Stuelke/Beers call.

“I didn’t have a chance,” she said. “I asked some unbiased people at the scorers’ table, and they were surprised (the foul) got upgraded.

“That was a five-point swing at the wrong time.

“We shot 11 free throws in this regional. It was 27-7 today. But that’s not why we lost the game. Let me make that clear.”

No, the Hawkeyes (23-11) lost because they gave up 58 second-half points and got schooled on the boards. Oklahoma enjoyed a 64-33 rebounding advantage, including 24-5 on the offensive end.

That also contributed to the free-throw disparity.

“That’s why you want to host,” Jensen said. “When it rolls your way, you get a little more comfortable out there.

“(Oklahoma) hit the transfer portal hard (last year), and they were biggest, faster, stronger.”

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