IOWA CITY, Iowa — No. 14 Iowa put on another impressive display Thursday night in front of an enthusiastic home crowd, pulling away late to defeat No. 20 Nebraska 80–61 in a Big Ten matchup that was much closer than the final score indicates. Chit-Chat Wright, who scored a game-high 24 points and consistently performed well under duress, set the tone for the Hawkeyes. She finished 11 of 12 from the free-throw line and was unrelenting in her attack on the rim. Wright’s composed demeanor and readiness to absorb contact were crucial in a late-game tightening.
Hannah Stuelke had an equally significant influence. The sophomore forward scored 21 points while going 7 of 11 from the field and a perfect 7 of 7 at the line, demonstrating her effectiveness and versatility. In addition to controlling the paint and helping Iowa win crucial games on the glass, she grabbed ten rebounds to record a double-double. Whether it was cleaning up a miss or cutting hard to the basket at the perfect time, Stuelke consistently appeared to be in the right spot.
Ava Heiden, who scored 18 points on an outstanding 8-of-10 shooting night, gave Iowa yet another outstanding performance. When Nebraska concentrated its defensive efforts elsewhere, her effectiveness provided the Hawkeyes with a reliable scoring option. With eight points, eight assists, and three steals, Taylor Stremlow dominated the stat sheet. He made the kind of all-around contribution that frequently changes games but doesn’t always make headlines. Iowa’s impressive start to conference action was reinforced by the victory, which put them at 12-2 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten play. It also highlighted the Hawkeyes’ capacity for late-game execution, a quality that frequently distinguishes strong teams from genuinely dangerous ones in March.
After one of the best starts in program history, Nebraska lost for the second time in a row, falling to 12-2 overall and 1-2 in league play. The Cornhuskers had won 14 straight games at the start of the season thanks to steady offensive output and self-assurance on both ends of the court. A 74-66 loss to No. 24 USC earlier in the week halted that momentum, and Thursday’s setback made it back-to-back losses for a team that had dominated the early part of the season.
To put Nebraska’s start in perspective, the Cornhuskers’ 30-game winning streak in the 2009–10 season was the only better start in program history. The team this year has shown glimmers of that same potential, but Thursday night demonstrated how narrow the gap can be when facing top-tier opponents. For a large portion of the evening, the game was back-and-forth, with ten ties and seven lead changes. The tension in the arena was a reflection of neither team’s ability to truly separate until the very end. Every item was important, and every error seemed more significant.
With 5:44 left, the crucial moment occurred. Emily Fisher of Nebraska made a three-pointer to tie the score and put the Cornhuskers in a strong position. Rather, Iowa’s most dominant stretch of the evening was their response. The Hawkeyes finished the game on a devastating 14-1 run over the last five minutes after rattling off the next ten points. Nebraska found it difficult to establish a rhythm during that pivotal period. Iowa remained calm and opportunistic while the Cornhuskers missed four consecutive field goals and made numerous turnovers. Nebraska was forced to play from behind as the Hawkeyes turned defense into offense by taking advantage of almost every error.
In the final moments, Iowa used free throws as a weapon. In the last five or more minutes, the Hawkeyes went 9 of 10 at the line, including Wright’s perfect 6-for-6 performance. In addition to extending the lead, those trips to the stripe sapped Nebraska’s chances of a comeback. With 27 points, Britt Prince led the Cornhuskers and kept Nebraska within striking distance for the majority of the evening. Eliza Maupin recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Jessica Petrie contributed 17 points. Nebraska was unable to overcome Iowa’s late surge in spite of those individual efforts.
In the future, Nebraska will host Purdue on Sunday in an attempt to regroup at home. Riding high on confidence and momentum, Iowa will return to the road on Monday to play Northwestern in an attempt to maintain its flawless Big Ten record.
