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On Senior Day, No. 12 Iowa women's basketball faced one of its biggest challenges of the season in No. 5 Michigan.
With a lot at stake, it was Iowa (22-5, 13-3 Big Ten) that emerged victorious, downing Michigan (22-5, 13-3 Big Ten), 62-44, with a fourth-quarter flurry to pull away.
The Hawkeyes picked up a resume-enhancing win that inches Iowa closer toward host status in the upcoming 2026 NCAA Tournament. As the dust settles on a fun day inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, here's some of the key takeaways:
Iowa sophomore center Ava Heiden was terrific on Sunday afternoon. Heiden finished with a game-high 24 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to collect her eighth career double-double.
The 6-foot-4 big was great late, too, scoring 12 of her 24 in the fourth quarter on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting effort in the frame. Heiden finished 11-of-17 shooting and also added two steals and two blocks.
Heiden has scored in double figures in 15 straight games, including against all 15 Big Ten opponents.
Senior forward Hannah Stuelke was understandably emotional as she exited the floor on Sunday to hugs and a celebration.
Stuelke also delivered a fantastic performance on Sunday. The longtime impact performer and three-year starter registered her 19th career double-double and her eighth this season with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Stuelke had some big-time helpers on Sunday as well, finishing with seven assists and two steals.
Graduate senior Kylie Feuerbach hit a pair of big 3-pointers and finished with eight points.
Michigan entered as one of the nation's best at forcing turnovers, ranking 13th nationally and tops in the Big Ten with 22.7 turnovers forced per game. And the Wolverines' defensive pressure certainly made an impact, forcing Iowa into 18 turnovers.
But, the Hawkeyes wound up winning that category. Iowa forced 24 Michigan turnovers and turned those Wolverine mistakes into a 21-6 points off turnovers edge.
Iowa also led 7-0 in fastbreak points, dominated points in the paint (40-22) and assisted eight more times than Michigan (17-9). The Hawkeyes also limited Michigan to a season-low 44 points.
The Hawkeyes shot 48.2% from the floor and limited Michigan to just 30.5% shooting.
There's more basketball to be played. Iowa closes its regular-season slate with games versus Illinois (19-8, 9-7 Big Ten) next Thursday and at Wisconsin (13-14, 5-11 Big Ten) on Sunday, March 1.
But, assuming Iowa wins both of those games, the Hawkeyes would likely be locked in as one of the NCAA Tournament's first- and second-round hosts as a top-four seed.
The Michigan win should be a big boost in that regard. Having a pair of games inside Carver to start the NCAA Tournament is a major advantage in terms of trying to advance back to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2024.
Seriously, that was impressive. It's been said before and it will be said again. But, that environment was off the charts. What a showcase for the Hawkeyes' program.
Sunday's Carver atmosphere is sure to impress Nation Williams and Iowa's other visitors.
And, most importantly, hats off to you, Hawkeye fans. The support that Iowa fans give its women's basketball program might be matched elsewhere, but it certainly isn't topped anywhere. That was awesome.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnHawks
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Ava Heiden erupts: Takeaways as Iowa women's basketball tops Michigan
Continue reading...
With a lot at stake, it was Iowa (22-5, 13-3 Big Ten) that emerged victorious, downing Michigan (22-5, 13-3 Big Ten), 62-44, with a fourth-quarter flurry to pull away.
The Hawkeyes picked up a resume-enhancing win that inches Iowa closer toward host status in the upcoming 2026 NCAA Tournament. As the dust settles on a fun day inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, here's some of the key takeaways:
Ava Heiden was sensational
Iowa sophomore center Ava Heiden was terrific on Sunday afternoon. Heiden finished with a game-high 24 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to collect her eighth career double-double.
The 6-foot-4 big was great late, too, scoring 12 of her 24 in the fourth quarter on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting effort in the frame. Heiden finished 11-of-17 shooting and also added two steals and two blocks.
Heiden has scored in double figures in 15 straight games, including against all 15 Big Ten opponents.
Hannah Stuelke enjoyed a great Senior Day
Senior forward Hannah Stuelke was understandably emotional as she exited the floor on Sunday to hugs and a celebration.
Stuelke also delivered a fantastic performance on Sunday. The longtime impact performer and three-year starter registered her 19th career double-double and her eighth this season with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Stuelke had some big-time helpers on Sunday as well, finishing with seven assists and two steals.
Graduate senior Kylie Feuerbach hit a pair of big 3-pointers and finished with eight points.
Iowa forced Michigan into more mistakes
Michigan entered as one of the nation's best at forcing turnovers, ranking 13th nationally and tops in the Big Ten with 22.7 turnovers forced per game. And the Wolverines' defensive pressure certainly made an impact, forcing Iowa into 18 turnovers.
But, the Hawkeyes wound up winning that category. Iowa forced 24 Michigan turnovers and turned those Wolverine mistakes into a 21-6 points off turnovers edge.
Iowa also led 7-0 in fastbreak points, dominated points in the paint (40-22) and assisted eight more times than Michigan (17-9). The Hawkeyes also limited Michigan to a season-low 44 points.
The Hawkeyes shot 48.2% from the floor and limited Michigan to just 30.5% shooting.
Iowa took a big step toward host status
There's more basketball to be played. Iowa closes its regular-season slate with games versus Illinois (19-8, 9-7 Big Ten) next Thursday and at Wisconsin (13-14, 5-11 Big Ten) on Sunday, March 1.
But, assuming Iowa wins both of those games, the Hawkeyes would likely be locked in as one of the NCAA Tournament's first- and second-round hosts as a top-four seed.
The Michigan win should be a big boost in that regard. Having a pair of games inside Carver to start the NCAA Tournament is a major advantage in terms of trying to advance back to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2024.
Carver-Hawkeye Arena was a madhouse
Seriously, that was impressive. It's been said before and it will be said again. But, that environment was off the charts. What a showcase for the Hawkeyes' program.
Sunday's Carver atmosphere is sure to impress Nation Williams and Iowa's other visitors.
And, most importantly, hats off to you, Hawkeye fans. The support that Iowa fans give its women's basketball program might be matched elsewhere, but it certainly isn't topped anywhere. That was awesome.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnHawks
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Ava Heiden erupts: Takeaways as Iowa women's basketball tops Michigan
Continue reading...
