Iowa Responds to Early Adversity, Dominates No. 12 Ohio State in Statement Win
IOWA CITY - Just 23 seconds into Sunday’s Big Ten showdown, Iowa suffered a gut punch. Taylor McCabe went down with a non-contact knee injury, and the Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd of nearly 15,000 fell into a stunned silence. But instead of folding, the 10th-ranked Hawkeyes dug in - and delivered their most complete performance of the season.
Behind a breakout game from freshman Addie Deal and a team-wide display of unselfish, high-efficiency basketball, Iowa rolled past No. 12 Ohio State, 91-70, to stay unbeaten in Big Ten play and send a clear message: this team is built to withstand adversity.
“We had a tough situation so early,” head coach Jan Jensen said. “A team can handle that so many ways. You can get ruffled.”
Iowa didn’t flinch. After falling behind 8-2 in the opening minutes, the Hawkeyes erupted on a 22-6 run to close the first quarter and never looked back. They led by 16 at the half and stretched the margin as high as 23 in the second half, controlling the game on both ends and never letting the Buckeyes find a rhythm.
And it all started with Deal.
The freshman guard, averaging just over five points per game coming in, was thrust into early action following McCabe’s injury - and she responded like a seasoned veteran. Deal poured in a career-high 20 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including a perfect 3-for-3 at the line, and added a spark that fueled Iowa’s early surge.
“As soon as my number is called, I’m going to go out there and give it my all,” Deal said. “I’m confident in my abilities. I love the way we play - super unselfish.”
That unselfishness was on full display. Iowa racked up 28 assists on 37 made field goals, with Kylie Feuerbach dishing out nine of them. The ball movement was crisp, the spacing was excellent, and the shot selection was elite - a textbook example of team-first basketball.
Hannah Stuelke and Ava Heiden anchored the frontcourt with a dominant inside presence. Both scored 18 points, combining to shoot a scorching 17-of-24 from the field. Stuelke also pulled down 15 rebounds, while Heiden added eight boards and four steals, impacting the game on both ends.
Chit-Chat Wright added 14 points, including four triples, continuing her emergence as a reliable perimeter threat.
And while the offense was humming, Iowa’s defense quietly put together a clinic of its own. The Hawkeyes held the Buckeyes - a team that came in averaging over 80 points per game - to just 70, and limited them to one sustained run of more than three points over a massive stretch of the game.
From the moment Iowa led 35-27 until the score ballooned to 81-59, Ohio State never managed back-to-back baskets. That’s nearly two full quarters of basketball where the Buckeyes couldn’t string together a meaningful push.
That’s focus. That’s discipline.
That’s a team locked in.
Feuerbach summed it up best: “We stayed locked in. We were ready to go.”
Ohio State’s Jaloni Cambridge did her part, leading all scorers with 26 points and hitting six of her nine attempts from deep. But outside of her, the Buckeyes struggled to find consistent offense. As a team, they shot just 34.8% from the field and were out-rebounded 48-30.
McCabe’s injury looms large. She returned to the bench late in the first half with her knee wrapped in ice, but the early signs suggest Iowa may be without her for an extended stretch. An MRI was scheduled for Sunday night, and while the team awaits official word, the expectation is that the rotation will tighten - likely to eight, maybe nine players.
But if Sunday was any indication, the Hawkeyes have the depth, the chemistry, and the resolve to keep pushing forward.
They’re now 18-2 overall and 9-0 in the Big Ten, tied for first with UCLA as the conference race reaches its midpoint. And with a trip to Los Angeles looming - USC on Thursday, UCLA on Sunday - Iowa’s about to get tested again.
Only now, they’re doing it with a little more swagger, a little more belief, and a freshman who just showed she’s ready for the moment.