Iowa women overcome hardship at Northwestern and maintain a late lead in Evanston. In a tough test at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Monday night, the 14th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes made a comeback to Big Ten road action.
Despite errors, foul trouble, and a shortened rotation, they managed to hold a slim lead over Northwestern well into the fourth quarter. Iowa came into Evanston riding high from an emotional 86-76 rivalry victory over No. 25 Nebraska, going into the game at 12-2 overall and a perfect 3-0 in conference play. The Hawkeyes’ tenacity and balance were demonstrated in that victory, which was sealed by a commanding 16-6 final run. However, the game against Northwestern (6-8, 0-3 Big Ten) on Monday turned out to be a different kind of challenge—messy, physically demanding, and anything but comfortable.
Iowa managed to maintain a 50-44 lead at the end of the third quarter despite shooting erratically and making far too many turnovers. This was mostly due to Ava Heiden’s timely baskets and calm composure when the game looked like it might end.
A fast start—and immediate trouble
Iowa’s first few minutes were inconsistent. At the under-five timeout, the Hawkeyes shot just 3-for-10 from the field and committed three turnovers in the first five minutes due to their early struggles with ball security. Although Northwestern wasn’t much cleaner, the Wildcats made enough money to stay competitive.
But Ava Heiden didn’t take long to establish herself. The 6-foot-4 sophomore center gave the Hawkeyes a slim lead by scoring Iowa’s first 12 points while shooting an effective 6-for-7. However, there was a price to her early dominance. Heiden was benched after receiving two fouls in the first quarter—one on a shooting play and another offensive foul in the last minute.
Nevertheless, Iowa went on a 7-1 run to take a 13-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. There wasn’t much offense outside of Heiden. Chit-Chat Wright scored the lone additional point via a free throw in the first frame while the other Hawkeyes were 0-for-8 from the field. Iowa had a 10-7 rebounding advantage early on and did control the glass.
Turnovers keep Northwestern close
A similar pattern emerged in the second quarter, with Iowa performing adequately but never losing ground. Midway through the period, a three-pointer by Casey Harter tied the score at 17, forcing head coach Jan Jensen to burn a timeout. Grace Sullivan ignited Northwestern with confident shooting.
Iowa was still dominating the paint, outscoring Northwestern 14-2 inside at that point, but turnovers were mounting. Despite being outmuscled close to the rim, the Wildcats managed to hang on thanks to seven giveaways in the first half.
Despite Heiden’s lack of playing time in the second quarter due to foul trouble, Iowa managed to finish strongly. Chit-Chat Wright gave Hannah Stuelke a perfectly timed feed in the closing seconds before halftime, and Stuelke beat the buzzer with a layup to complete a 6-0 Hawkeye run. Iowa had a 32-29 lead at the half.
The data presented a conflicting picture. Northwestern shot 43% overall, compared to Iowa’s meager 39% from the field and 1-of-5 three-point shooting. Although the Hawkeyes had advantages in rebounding (20–13) and points in the paint (18–14), 12 turnovers had already resulted in 12 points for the Wildcats.
Heiden scored all 12 of Iowa’s points in the first quarter. Sullivan of Northwestern led all scorers with 15 points. Wright’s stat line of three points, six assists, and three rebounds demonstrated her consistent impact.
A tense third quarter
The most uncomfortable part of the game for Iowa was the third quarter. Early on, Northwestern outscored the Hawkeyes 11-7, briefly gaining a one-point advantage at 40-39. Heiden went back to the floor, but less than three minutes into the half, she committed her third foul, making Iowa’s rotation even more difficult.
Layla Hays was also saddled with four fouls, and Stuelke struggled to find rhythm, sitting at 2-for-8 shooting with seven points. By the middle of the third quarter, Iowa had committed 17 turnovers, which directly resulted in 17 points for Northwestern as their offense stalled.
Iowa, however, refused to give up. Even though the Hawkeyes played without starters Kylie Feuerbach (ankle) and Emely Rodriguez (back) for yet another game, Journey Houston contributed five points off the bench and Wright kept up his orchestration.
Then came Heiden’s defining moment.
Heiden delivers late
Heiden sat for most of the half, then came back and took charge right away. She finished the third quarter with six points, including a buzzer-beater that put Iowa ahead 50-44 going into the final frame. For a Hawkeye team that was frantically looking for separation, the scene felt like a sigh of relief.
Despite everything going wrong, Iowa held firm and shot 45% from the field through the first three quarters. The Hawkeyes went into the fourth quarter hoping to win their third road game overall and their second in the Big Ten, which is more a testament to perseverance than glitz.
Short-handed but steady
Iowa was already weak going into the game. Rodriguez missed her ninth straight game, and Feuerbach missed her third straight game. This lack of depth was evident, especially in Iowa’s sporadic offensive breakdowns and lack of explosiveness.
However, it also demonstrated the team’s development, poise, and mutual trust. Iowa wasn’t at its best in this situation. It lacked both beauty and dominance. However, it was resilient, and sometimes that’s enough in Big Ten road games.
Performances like this could end up being just as important as blowouts as conference play heats up and more difficult exams approach. There was no panic in Iowa. It didn’t come apart. It just managed to remain upright.
