Second-half surge propels women’s basketball past Wisconsin

Down 17 points early in the second half, Iowa found its rhythm late to register its third comeback victory in a row.

Iowa+guard+Makenzie+Meyer+drives+forward+during+a+women%E2%80%99s+basketball+game+between+Iowa+and+Maryland+at+Carver-Hawkeye+Arena+on+Thursday%2C+Jan.+9%2C+2020.+The+Hawkeyes+defeated+the+Terrapins%2C+66-61.

Shivansh Ahuja

Iowa guard Makenzie Meyer drives forward during a women’s basketball game between Iowa and Maryland at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020. The Hawkeyes defeated the Terrapins, 66-61.

Robert Read, Sports Editor

There’s just no quit in this Iowa women’s basketball team.

Despite being down 15 points at half and trailing by 17 early in the third quarter, the Hawkeyes came back to beat Wisconsin, 85-78, in Madison.

In Iowa’s previous two games, the team overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat Indiana and came back from 15 points down to beat Minnesota. The Hawkeyes outscored Wisconsin by 16 points in the third quarter and six points in the fourth quarter to seal their 21st straight victory over the Badgers, dating back to the 2006-07 season.

Contributions came from all over in Iowa’s comeback victory.

Sophomore Monika Czinano played only four minutes in the first half because of foul trouble. She took over in the fourth quarter.

Czinano led the Hawkeyes with 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting in the final 10 minutes of play. For the game, Czinano scored 20 points, hitting on 8-of-9 shots from the floor.

Senior Makenzie Meyer had a game-high 22 points for Iowa. Meyer hit four of her six shots from 3-point range, while also dishing out six assists.

Kathleen Doyle continued her dominant senior season with 21 points, eight rebounds, and six assists against the Badgers.

The win is Iowa’s sixth straight and moves the team’s record to 15-3 on the year and 6-1 in the Big Ten.

The Hawkeyes return to the court Thursday night against Ohio State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa will look to extend its 30-game home winning streak, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.