The Hawkeyes earned their second win in a row, beating Northwestern, 79-64.

By Jake Mosbach
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On Sunday afternoon in Evanston, Illinois, the Hawkeye women’s basketball team captured its second win in a row, downing Northwestern, 79-64.

The victory improved Iowa’s record to 15-7 overall and pushed the squad back to an even 5-5 in the Big Ten.

Northwestern fell to 13-9 overall, 2-8 in the conference.

Continuing her monstrous play recently, Hawkeye sophomore forward Chase Coley dominated play in the paint, collecting 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 block. Forward Megan Gustafson captured her second-consecutive double-double, amassing 15 points and 13 rebounds to go along with 3 blocks.

Coley said after the game the team is finding its identity once again after snapping a three-game skid against Michigan on Jan. 28, and the players have begun treating the recent wins as a new season.

“We started to play Iowa basketball,” Coley said in a release. “We’re moving the ball better, and people are starting to hit their shots. We get excited in our brand-new season.”

Gustafson echoed her belief.

“We started all over after [the Purdue loss on Jan. 24],” Gustafson said in the release. “We’re 2-0 now, and it feels good to get back out there and get a win.”

Sunday afternoon’s game belonged to the Hawks nearly from the opening tip-off, with the Hawkeyes holding the lead for a whopping 34:13 of game time. The Wildcats had control of the game for just 1:57; the game was tied seven times.

The scoreboard might not have indicated it, but the Hawks were beaten in several statistical categories. However, they won the categories that mattered the most.

Iowa shot 51.8 percent from the field (29-for-56), and Northwestern struggled at 34.7 percent (26-for-75). The Hawks connected on just 30.8 percent of their 3-point attempts, but Northwestern managed to shoot just 16.7 percent from behind the arc.

The Hawks outscored Northwestern in all four quarters, with a 25-14 advantage in the fourth quarter sealing the win.

Junior Ally Disterhoft turned in another solid performance, putting up 18 points and 5 rebounds. The Iowa City native averages 16.6 points per game so far this season.

Other scorers for the Hawks included Whitney Jennings and Tania Davis (both with 11 points), Alexa Kastanek (3), and Kali Peschel (2).

The Hawkeyes will try to extend their winning streak to three games on Thursday in Bloomington, Indiana, where they’ll face the Hoosiers (13-9, 5-5 Big Ten). Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Head coach Lisa Bluder said her team knows the challenge that the Hoosiers will create.

“We know Indiana is playing well,” she said in a release. “They are one of the surprise teams in the Big Ten with how well they are playing. We know it will be a battle.”