After a 91–82 victory over Drake, the Iowa women’s basketball team has now beaten all three Division-1 in-state opponents for the second season in a row.

The Hawkeyes beat Iowa State Dec. 5. before topping Northern Iowa on Dec. 16 and now, they have a win against Drake to prove themselves as the best team in the state.

The Hawkeyes’ win over Drake wasn’t easy. They trailed 45–43 at halftime before riding a  23–15 run in the fourth quarter to give them the victory.

For Iowa, the biggest difference between the two halves was free throws. In the first half, Iowa only managed to get to the line six times. That changed in the second half when it got to the line 16 times and made 13 of them.

Megan Gustafson was even more spectacular than usual Friday night, as she put up a monster night with 44 points and 14 rebounds on an impressive 17-of-24 from the floor.

As has been typical this season, Gustafson did her best work in the second half. She put up 30 of her 44 points and grabbed 9 of her 14 rebounds in the second half.

Behind her, three other Hawkeyes reached double digits with Tania Davis leading the charge behind Gustafson with 14 points, 2 rebounds, and 6 assists. She also played well defensively, chipping in 2 steals.

Hannah Stewart also had an efficient night, contributing 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting with 4 boards, and 2 dimes.

Next, Iowa will start Big Ten play with a trip to East Lansing to take on Michigan State on Dec. 30.