The Iowa Hawkeyes handled Northern Iowa with ease last night, cruising to a 78-40 win and looking sharp from the opening tip. Dani Carnegie got the scoring started with a layup off an assist from Chit-Chat Wright, and Iowa never gave the Panthers any room to breathe. By the end of the first quarter, the Hawkeyes were already in control at 18-5, and they kept widening the gap by winning every quarter.
Carnegie was one of the biggest bright spots for Iowa’s new-look roster. The Georgia transfer poured in 22 points on 9-for-13 shooting and played with the kind of pace and confidence that stood out throughout the night.
Another transfer from Georgia, Jocelyn Faison, also continued to carve out a meaningful role. She finished with 7 points and 6 rebounds, and she looked comfortable contributing on both ends of the floor.
The most eye-catching performance, though, came from freshman McKenna Woliczko. In just her fourth college game, she posted 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting and led the team with 9 rebounds in 26 minutes.
Woliczko’s game keeps jumping off the screen: she’s quick, she rebounds with force, and she uses her athleticism to win boards over bigger players. She also showed a promising outside touch, going 2-for-4 from beyond the arc.
Through four games, Woliczko is averaging 12.5 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 62.5% from the field, including 47% from 3. It’s still early, but she already looks like a major piece for Iowa. At 18 years old, she carries herself like a player who’s been in college for a while, and she has quickly made a strong impression.
Beyond the individual standouts, Iowa’s overall balance is hard to miss. Jan Jensen and her staff have put together a roster that brings athleticism, depth, and a clear willingness to play together. As my colleague Thad noted, Lasondra Barrett has played a major role in shaping this group, bringing Chit-Chat with her from Georgia Tech and using her connections to help land Carnegie and Faison for Iowa this season.
That chemistry showed up in the numbers too. The Hawkeyes finished with 24 assists on 32 made baskets, a 75% assist rate that reflects how well they moved the ball and how often they found the open player. It also helps that Iowa can bring Taylor Stremlow and Journey Houston off the bench, giving the Hawkeyes a level of depth most Big Ten teams would love to have.
The schedule gets tougher next, with Iowa set to face 8th ranked Vanderbilt at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. It will count as a neutral-site game, though the crowd is expected to lean heavily toward the Hawkeyes. If Iowa can beat Vanderbilt, or even push them deep into a tight game, it would be another strong sign that this team is living up to the hype.
In Other News...
Iowas Purdue Matchup Just Picked Up An Unexpected Complication
Purdues trip to Iowa City for Week 11 turned into a much longer and less predictable journey than expected after a nationwide FAA communication issue grounded all air traffic. Instead of flying, the Boilermakers had to travel by bus, a reminder that even a routine Big Ten road game can get complicated fast when travel plans across college football are suddenly upended.
The FAAs rare nationwide ground stop was issued for safety reasons and rippled beyond this matchup, affecting multiple programs and leaving other games with some uncertainty. For Iowa, the game against Purdue is still set for Saturday evening, but the unusual travel disruption adds another layer to a meeting that was already going to be watched closely. [Read more 🡒]
Boston Everitts Family Went To Extremes Just To See Him Punt
The travel chaos that hit the country on Nov. 13 ended up becoming part of the story for one Iowa family, as the FAAs nationwide ground stop forced a cascade of flight delays and schedule changes around college football. Peter Everitt, the father of Iowa punter Boston Everitt, was among those caught up in it, and he still managed to make the long trip to Iowa City to watch his son play.
It took him 36 hours to get there, a reminder of how far families will go for a chance to see a special teams moment that usually lasts only a few seconds. Boston Everitt has become an important piece of Iowas kicking game this season, ranking among the Big Tens punters and landing on the Ray Guy Award Midseason watch list, which made the effort feel especially worth it for the Everitts. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Faces An Early Reality Check Against A Team It Still Hasn't Solved
No. 10 Iowa gets an early measuring-stick game Thursday in Sioux City, where the Hawkeyes meet No. 8 Vanderbilt at the Tyson Events Center. It is the kind of nonconference matchup that can sharpen a team quickly, and for Iowa it also brings a familiar frustration into focus, since the Hawkeyes are still looking for their first win in the series.
Vanderbilt arrives with a high-powered offense that has been putting up 103.8 points per game, with Mikayla Blakes and Mia Woolfolk leading the charge. Iowa has its own balance, with Dani Carnegie among several Hawkeyes scoring in double figures, but this one asks whether that depth can keep pace with a team that has already had Iowas number four times before. [Read more 🡒]