The Iowa women’s basketball team dropped a close 74-67 defeat at the hands of the Indiana Hoosiers on Sunday afternoon inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes fall to 12-5 overall and 2-4 in Big Ten play with the loss and have now lost three consecutive games for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign. 

While Iowa kept its composure on offense, committing a smaller number of turnovers than the Illinois game, lackluster shooting from beyond the arc ultimately decided the game. 

Third-year Taylor McCabe led Iowa in scoring with 15 points, 12 of which came from distance. McCabe was followed by fourth-year Addison O’Grady, who posted 11 points and three rebounds. 

First Half

Indiana came out hot out of the gates, building an early 6-0 lead, capitalizing on a layup, a jumper, and two shots from the charity stripe.

As Iowa trailed, McCabe stepped up, swishing a shot from downtown to give the Hawkeyes their first points of the day. Moments later, third-year Hannah Stuelke drove in for a layup to put Iowa within one.

Despite several good plays on the floor, the Hawkeyes struggled to score in the half, hitting at a 38.5 percent clip from the field in the first quarter and a 33.3 percent clip in the second quarter. 

O’Grady kicked off the back end of the half with a jumper from near the free throw line to put Iowa within three, a move that the center repeated moments later. As Indiana’s deep shooters heated up, however, the Hawkeyes slipped further behind.

McCabe’s second three of the night, later followed by a layup from O’Grady, closed the sizable gap to single digits. With seconds left on the clock, first-year Taylor Stremlow made a quick steal following a layup by O’Grady, which sent her to the line for two easy points, cutting the halftime deficit to just 36-30 and energizing the sold-out Carver crowd. 

DAWGS.@StremlowTaylor x @addiogrady22 #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/QjcychQId3

— Iowa Women’s Basketball (@IowaWBB) January 12, 2025

Second Half

The Hawkeyes battled hard in the second half, but failed to fully capitalize offensively in key moments and allowed Indiana to light it up from three-point range. In contrast, Iowa struggled to hit from downtown, making only 6 of its 19 attempts for the game, good for a 32 percent clip. 

The Hoosiers didn’t fare much better from distance, netting only 42 percent, but were far more aggressive on the perimeter and made timely shots to halt any hopes of a Hawkeye comeback. This 12-point difference in three-point field goals was enough to tip the scales in Indiana’s favor. 

Despite not playing their best basketball throughout the game, the Hawkeyes attempted to complete a desperation comeback in the final seconds. Trailing 66-59 with less than two minutes in the final quarter, McCabe snagged a bad Hoosier pass and immediately took advantage, sinking a three to put Iowa within four. 

Take it, make it.@_taylormccabe x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/oLkgTfApOr

— Iowa Women’s Basketball (@IowaWBB) January 12, 2025

But McCabe’s efforts proved to be academic, as Indiana made enough crucial buckets and free-throws down the stretch to seal the victory. 

Up next

The Hawkeyes will return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 16 for a tough contest against the rival Nebraska Cornhuskers, who are 13-4 overall and 4-2 in league play. It will be the first meeting between the two squads since the 2024 Big Ten Tournament Championship Game, a 94-89 Iowa victory. 

The contest is set to tip off at 6 p.m. local time and will be televised on Big Ten Network.