By Michael McCurdy
[email protected]

Following a tough loss on the road against Penn State, the Iowa women’s basketball team returned home hoping to get back in the win column. The Hawkeyes got their chance on Jan. 11 when they hosted 7-10 Illinois.

Illinois and Iowa had met earlier this season, Dec. 28 in Champaign, and the Illini came out on top, 70-65. With a chip on their shoulder, the Hawkeyes jumped out of the gates early, outscoring Illinois 25-10 in the first quarter.

In the second and third quarters, the Illini fought to slow Iowa’s offense and held the Hawkeyes to 14 points in each quarter. Defense had a hand in halting the Iowa offense, but the Hawkeyes also hit a cold streak in 3-point shooting.

The Hawkeye shots began to fall in the fourth quarter, and they matched their point total from the first quarter at 25. The barrage of points can be attributed to the hot hand of freshman Makenzie Meyer, who went 4-of-5 on 3s.

At the final buzzer, the Hawkeyes finished the way they had started and defeated Illinois, 78-58. Leading the Hawkeyes in scoring was sophomore forward Megan Gustafson with 20 points. She also snagged 15 rebounds to record a double-double.

Gustafson was not the only player to record personal accolades; freshman Kathleen Doyle scored a career-high 18 points.

After this much needed win, the Hawkeyes sit at 11-6 overall, 2-2 in the Big Ten. They are tightly packed in the middle of the standings with three teams, all seeking to move up the ladder.

Iowa gets its opportunity at a marquee win on Jan. 14, when they will host No. 3 Maryland at 3 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye.