Iowa History Daily: March 12 - Michelle "Ice" Edwards Owns Big 10

Iowa History Daily: 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 went on to finish 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, a first ever for a Big Ten women's program, a perch they held onto for eight weeks. Crowned Big 10 Champs after finishing the conference season 17-1, Stringer, Edwards, and the Hawks 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 were beaten by 20 points in a virtual home game for the team from Long Beach. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar