Iowa's Lisa Bluder calls officials' approach 'frustrating' after loss

DALLAS — Iowa Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder found the officials' approach «frustrating» in Sunday's 2023 women's NCAA title game, where her team fell 102-85 to the LSU Tigers at the American Airlines Center.

«I can't comment on the officials,» Bluder said postgame. «It's very frustrating because I feel like I can't talk to them. They won't even listen. That's what's frustrating, is there wasn't even a conversation that could be had. When your two seniors have to sit on the bench — they don't know they're seniors, I get it — but those two women didn't deserve it. I don't know. It's too bad. Yeah, it's too bad.»

There were 37 fouls called in all by the game's end, with fifth-year senior Monika Czinano and senior McKenna Warnock fouling out in the fourth quarter at the 6:25 and 1:33 marks, respectively. That isn't as many fouls as Friday's national semifinal game between South Carolina-Iowa (38) and UConn in last year's national championship game had 21, more than either team on Sunday. James Madison and Ohio State had a combined 52 fouls in the first-round of this year's tournament.

That said, the first half alone of the national title game featured 21 foul calls, with eight players — Angel Reese, Alexis Morris, Kateri Poole, Sa'Myah Smith, Last-Tear Poa, Caitlin Clark, Czinano and Warnock — each picking up a pair.

Bluder also seemed to take issue with the technical foul called late in the third quarter on Clark — her fourth. She tossed the ball behind her back out of bounds after Reese drew a foul on Czinano. The Hawkeyes had cut a 21-point deficit to seven just a short while prior, but following the tech and the ensuing free throws from Alexis Morris, the Tigers extended their lead back to double-figures and never looked