A textbook point guard-to-center basketball play executed flawlessly by two bigs in the paint, and neither player was 100 percent healthy. Hannah Stuelke and Ava Heiden aren’t ones to create their own shot, but with each other form an offensive combination difficult to stop. The pinnacle of their on-court partnership arrived late in Iowa’s victory over Illinois, with the Hawkeyes clinging to a two-point lead with less than 30 seconds remaining in the contest. 

Standing near the left elbow, Stuelke took a dribble toward the free throw line, her path cleared thanks to a screen from Heiden, who immediately spun toward the basket and hustled toward the rim untouched. Stuelke fired a bounce pass between two defenders and turned away smiling as Heiden converted the easy layup. From much-beloved senior to star sophomore, the duo embraced from afar, their synergy symbolized by a finger point. 

“You just go to those consistent pieces,” Iowa head coach Jan Jensen said. 

On a night where Jensen predicted an intriguing frontcourt matchup, the Hawkeyes held the edge. Illinois forwards Berry Wallace and Cearah Parchment rank first and second on the team in scoring this season and did the same on Thursday with 21 and 20 points, respectively.  

The freshman-sophomore duo shot 50 percent from the floor, including a combined five made threes. Yet their elder Hawkeye counterparts, while not as skilled from long range, posted better numbers: a combined 46 points on 64.5 percent shooting from the field. The coup de grâce pick and roll occurred with Wallace and Parchment as the primary defenders, but the moment meant beyond mere comparison. 

On a night when guard and second leading scorer Chit-Chat Wright fails to make a field goal, Jensen and Iowa know they can rely on the post, even against talented matchups. Stuelke and Heiden, the former nursing injury and the latter recovering from an illness, can still deliver. 

“Hannah is just showing that fortitude, and Ava is stepping into those big moments,” Jensen said. 

Stuelke’s resilience revealed itself after the senior exited the game less than two minutes into the first quarter after diving for a loose ball. Leaving the court gripping her right arm in pain, Stuelke returned, donning a white shooting sleeve and a renewed physicality. Upon checking back into the game, she blocked a shot from Wallace, then took full command of the smaller defender when posting up. 

Jensen said Illinois opted to play defenders behind Stuelke’s four position. The senior took full advantage, utilizing a drop step and dribble to clear out space on her way to four points. She would finish with 18 total, with perhaps none more important than her four makes at the free-throw line. 

A career 60.3 percent shooter from the foul line, Stuelke is averaging under the 60 mark for the first time since her first season in Iowa City. Nevertheless, her one-dribble ritual at the stripe barely gave the Carver crowd much time to react as she iced the game for the Hawkeyes. 

“I’m thrilled for Hannah as like a daughter for me because she works on [free throws],” Jensen said. “Sometimes it’s just such a mental block.” 

Heiden missed out on her fourth consecutive 20-point double-double, but largely because she only played  23 minutes due to some early foul trouble and a lingering illness. While not exactly a flu game, Heiden impressed with 28 points on 13-of-18 shooting. 

“No excuses,” Jensen said. “I just say, ‘Hey, look, I believe you’re an All-American. We’ve got to start. We’ve got to go. There’s no more time.” 

While defenders positioned themselves behind Stuelke, they tried to front Heiden, but the center adjusted with her positioning to create more potent angles to the basket. After Illinois jumped to a six-point lead early in the fourth quarter, Heiden sparked a rally with a layup and a hook shot. While her effectiveness and efficiency in the post have been consistent this season, Heiden’s vocal presence is far more noticeable now. She said with Taylor McCabe out for the season, someone had to take up the mantle. 

“Someone to right the ship when things are going astray,” Heiden said. 

Heiden talks after every basket, whether it’s pumping up her teammates or reminding them there’s still game left to play. On defense, she stands in the paint, calling out assignments and helping direct traffic. Yet one of her favorite reactions is the finger point to any “beautiful passer,” like Stuelke or any of her teammates. 

Heiden knows she can command the clutch as she did in Iowa’s last game against Michigan, but she just needs someone to give her the ball. Thursday night, it was Stuelke, and when the postseason arrives next month, the frontcourt duo will only have more opportunities. 

“That was the time to go to those two,” Jensen said.