The Iowa women’s basketball team defeated Miami, 64-61, on Saturday night in Orlando, Florida, improving to 6-0 on the season and etching a perfect record in the Women’s College Basketball Coaches Association Showcase. After topping No. 7 Baylor in a low-scoring affair on Thursday night, Iowa earned its second victory over a power conference team through a dominant paint presence and clutch defensive plays.
Hawkeye second-year center Ava Heiden led the team with 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting, followed by senior forward Hannah Stuelke with 20 points and 12 rebounds – her first double-double of the season.
Point guard Chit-Chat Wright did not play after suffering an injury against Baylor. Second-year guard Taylor Stremlow started in her stead and finished with seven points and five assists, tying her with Kylie Feuerbach for the team lead on the evening.
Outside of making plays for others, Feuerbach’s defensive prowess bloomed late in the fourth quarter with Iowa clinging to a two-point lead after coughing up a double-digit advantage. The Hawkeyes led the Hurricanes, 61-49, with 8:30 to go after a layup from Stuelke, but did not see another made field goal for the rest of the contest. Miami scored the game’s next 10 points, with six coming from third-year guard Vittoria Blasigh.
A turnover by Stuelke gave Miami the ball with 13 seconds to go, but Feuerbach pried the ball loose from Miami’s Ra Shaya Kyle and drew a foul two seconds later. Her two made free throws quelled the Hurricane run and were two of the Hawkeyes’ nine points during the frame. A Miami layup cut the lead back to two, but Feuerbach again drew contact and connected on her second free-throw attempt to once again provide some breathing room.
Despite a low-scoring fourth quarter, Iowa shot 44 percent from the floor but only made 3-of-21 attempts from beyond the arc. The Hawkeyes outmatched their opponent down low, outscoring the Hurricanes, 46-26, in the paint and outrebounding them, 43-29. Iowa posted just six bench points: four from guard Addie Deal and two from Layla Hays.
Iowa opened the game on a 6-0 run as Heiden went 5-of-5 from the field in the first half. The Hawkeyes shot 52 percent from the floor in the first half, while the Hurricanes shot 32 percent. Heiden averaged 19 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in Orlando, earning her the Most Outstanding Player award for the event.
Up Next
Iowa returns home to Carver-Hawkeye Arena for a matchup against Western Illinois on Wednesday, Nov. 26. The contest tips off at 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus. The Leathernecks are 4-0 on the year and feature four players averaging double-digit scoring. Senior forward Mia Nicastro leads the squad with 25.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.