Iowa women’s basketball opened conference play with a rout, defeating Rutgers, 79-36, in a defensive masterclass Saturday night in Piscataway. The Hawkeyes’ 36 points allowed was a season-best and the third time they held an opponent under 45 points. Second-year center Ava Heiden scored the team’s first eight points and led the way with 17, followed by senior guard Taylor McCabe with 14 and a career-high 14 off the bench from first-year Journey Houston.
The win on head coach Jan Jensen’s birthday put Iowa at 9-0 on the season with a prime-time matchup against undefeated Iowa State on the horizon.
Second-year guard Chit-Chat Wright made her return from an upper-body injury she suffered on Nov. 20. While she started the contest, she received a blow to the face in the first half and was held out the rest of the game for precautionary reasons. She finished with no points and three rebounds in eight minutes of action.
The Hawkeyes shot 49 percent from the field and 6-of-13 from deep. McCabe drilled 4-of-6 triples, including consecutive splashes to open the second half.
The Scarlet Knights scored just six points in the first quarter and struggled the rest of the way, having just four made field goals at halftime. Rutgers finished the contest shooting 13 percent from floor.
Despite the injury setback from Wright, Iowa showcased its depth yet again with Houston and fellow reserves Layla Hays, Addie Deal, and Taylor Stremlow adding at least eight points apiece. The group combined to shoot 54 percent from the field.
Up Next
No. 12 Iowa travels to Ames for its rivalry showdown against No. 10 Iowa State on Wednesday, Dec. 10. The Hawkeyes have won the last three Cy-Hawk games and eight of the last 10. Nevertheless, the Cyclones will prove a difficult matchup this year. Head coach Bill Fennelly’s squad is 9-0 after a 106-95 victory over Indiana and features three double-digit scorers.
Third-year center Audi Crooks tops the team with a Division I-best 27.3 points per game, followed by forward Addy Brown and guard Jada Williams with 12.9 and 11.2 points per game, respectively.
Iowa State ranks sixth in Division I in field goal percentage and third in scoring.
The Hawkeyes and Cyclones tip off at 6 p.m. on ESPN.