The Iowa women’s basketball team’s six-game win streak came to an end with the 86-78 overtime loss to No. 8 Ohio State on Monday. However, there were several positive takeaways from its performance, starting with Iowa’s strong resilience.
The Hawkeyes trailed by as many as 14 points late in the first half, pushing it down to as low as a two-point Buckeye lead before falling back down to a 12-point deficit with 1:30 left in the game. But a late-game charge led by Lucy Olsen’s 11 points down the stretch pushed the game into overtime.
This was the same resilience that was on display when it faced No. 4 USC on Feb. 2. After going up, 23-4, in the middle of the second quarter, the Trojans stormed back to take a one-point lead heading into the break. Instead of folding, the Hawkeyes continued to tussle for the lead until it pulled away towards the end of the fourth quarter.
The performance against Ohio State should play as a momentum builder regardless of the loss. Almost pulling off a second upset win against a top-10 ranked team, hope is high with No. 3 UCLA coming to Iowa City this weekend.
Scouting UCLA
The Bruins boast a 24-1 record — their only loss coming at the hands of Juju Watkins and USC on Feb. 13. They nearly suffered a second-straight loss against Michigan State before pulling off a 75-69 victory without star center Lauren Betts.
Betts, a National Player of the Year candidate averaging 19.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game, is dealing with a foot injury and was deemed day-to-day. The 6-foot-7 star serves as an anchor on both sides of the ball, and a big chunk of the offensive load will fall on the shoulders of guard Kiki Rice if Betts remains out.
The third-year star is the only other Bruin averaging double-figures in scoring with 12.9 on the season. She notched 16 points on 4-of-10 shooting against Michigan State, but it was forward Janiah Barker and Timea Gardiner who saw a jump in opportunity.
Barker, who stands 6-foot-4, served as the inside enforcer in the absence of Betts, while Gardiner poses as a 6-foot-3 sharpshooter shooting 37 percent from deep on the year.
UCLA averages 79.6 points per game on an efficient 48.5 percent shooting, which is not far ahead of Iowa at 74.5 points per game on 46.1 percent shooting. The Bruins also average 44.5 rebounds and 20.7 assists, both good for the fourth-highest averages in the country.
But it’s UCLA’s defense that’s been the catalyst behind its success this season. Its plus-23.6 point differential ranks sixth-best in the country, with opponents scoring 55.7 points on average. Besides the last two games, the closest battles that the Bruins have been a part of this season was a pair of 11-point wins over Washington on Dec. 18 and Indiana on Jan. 4.
The UCLA-Iowa matchup will take place at Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 1:00 p.m. CT Sunday and will be available to stream on Peacock.