Iowa guard Gabbie Marshall did not score a single point during the Hawkeyes’ 64-54 win against the West Virginia Mountaineers. Yet she still played a mammoth 36 minutes of the hard-fought encounter.

She registered one block, one rebound and one steal but had a crucial block late in the fourth quarter that allowed the Hawkeyes to win the close encounter and proceed to the Sweet 16 for a clash against the feisty Colorado Buffaloes.

Marshall is a senior and was one of the players playing their last game in front of the home crowd at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena. After the game, she wrote a heartfelt post on Instagram, thanking Iowa fans for their support.

Her longtime boyfriend, Iowa Sports and Diversion graduate Spencer Touro complimented her on the game that she had played in the comments stating:

“Made your mark.”

Her teammate, record-breaker, Caitlin Clark also left a sweet comment under the post.

“My girl for life. Forever proud. ily,” Clark wrote.

Gabbie Marshall shows her value to Iowa

Although she did not score a single point, Gabbie Marshall showed her defensive prowess by making a crucial play for Iowa with the scores tied at 52-52 and West Virginia’s J. J Quinerly lining up a shot from deep.

Marshall blocked the shot, and in the transition, Hawkeyes guard Sydney Affolter carried the ball the length of the court and scored a jumper to give her team a lead that they never relinquished, which allowed them to proceed to the Sweet 16.

During her postgame news conference, Marshall described the moment that changed the game.

“I had to do something for my team,” she said.

Her teammates recognized the significance of that piece of defensive work by Gabbie Marshall, and Iowa guard Kate Martin lauded her for it afterward.

“Gabbie didn’t score, but she never stops working her butt off on defense,” said Kate Martin. “That play motivated us. You see that play, and you see that kind of passion in Gabbie, and it’s infectious.

Then Syd, she had an opportunity and made a play at the rim.”

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder has praised Marshall’s defensive prowess in the past, highlighting how important a cog she is to the Hawkeyes machine.

“She has always worked so hard defensively. She has always denied really well, ball pressure really well, and it’s something that we really count on, and we always tell her to focus on that rather than the offense, because what she brings for us in the defensive end is so important,” Bluder said.

Iowa’s road to the Final Four is progressively getting harder with the No. 5 seed, the Colorado Buffaloes, up next in the Sweet 16. The Hawkeyes will need Gabbie Marshall to step up defensively to complement Caitlin Clark’s offensive prowess.