The previously-undefeated Iowa women’s basketball team fought through four quarters but came up short 78-68 against a 6-0 Tennessee squad on Saturday night. The Hawkeyes drop to 8-1 on the season with the loss.

The contest took place in Brooklyn, New York, as part of the inaugural Women’s Champions Classic, a two-game event that featured four of the most storied women’s college basketball programs. Iowa and Tennessee played in the first game, while UConn and Louisville are currently playing in the second game.

Olsen led in scoring with 23 points, three rebounds and five assists. The point guard was followed by fourth-year Addison O’Grady with a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds. Third-year Hannah Stuelke and fourth-year Kylie Feuerbach each collected eight points.

The Hawkeyes committed 30 turnovers on the night, a crucial factor that proved to be the difference in the game. 

First Half 

Iowa outscored the Lady Vols 22-18 to take the lead in the first quarter. While the Hawkeyes didn’t get on the board until a jumper from Olsen over two minutes in, Iowa’s advantage in accuracy was enough to keep Tennessee at bay. The Hawkeyes shot 47 percent from the floor, including 17 percent from three. 

Several Iowa athletes put points on the board to contribute to a Hawkeye lead, including Olsen with 11, Stuelke with four, and first-year Teagan Mallegni with a three, the only one made by Iowa in the first quarter. The quarter also showed signs of Tennessee’s aggressive defense, with the Lady Vols racking up six steals. 

Tennessee knotted the score up at 35 apiece in the second quarter, shooting 40 percent from the three-point line to match Iowa, though the Hawkeyes still had a higher field goal percentage, with 50 percent.  compared to the Lady Vols’ 44 percent. 

Iowa’s leading scorer for the quarter, first-year Ava Heiden, posted four points, while Tennessee’s leading scorer had a nine-point effort. Ultimately, the Lady Vols outscored the Hawkeyes 17-13 in the second quarter, ending the half at a 35-35 tie. 

The first half as a whole called attention to Iowa’s issue with turnovers; the second quarter alone saw Tennessee snag seven points off turnovers, while the Hawkeyes’ own efforts only added up to an additional four points for Iowa. 

Second Half 

It was still anybody’s game in the third quarter, with Tennessee outscoring Iowa by a narrow 20-17 margin in the frame. Olsen logged eight points in the third quarter, while O’Grady, in her third career double-double, recorded six points. 

Turnovers continued to be an issue for Iowa, with the Volunteers recording seven points from turnovers. The Hawkeyes continued to shoot at a higher clip, but Tennessee led 55-52 after the quarter due to the mistakes. 

While the Hawkeyes fought to the last minute, the Lady Vols pulled far enough away in the fourth quarter to gain a substantial lead and nab the 78-68 victory. 

Tennessee outscored Iowa 23-16 in the final quarter, including a 14-1 run to close the game. The Lady Vols were further helped by another 12 points from Hawkeye turnovers, all while shooting 24 percent from the three-point line to beat Iowa’s 21 percent. 

Up next

Iowa returns home to take on Iowa State on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The game, part of the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series, is slated to start at 8 p.m. on FS1.