Minnesota Stuns No. 10 Iowa in Carver-Hawkeye Upset: Defense Falters as Hawkeyes Drop Third Straight
IOWA CITY - What was supposed to be a bounce-back game turned into a full-blown wake-up call for Iowa.
The 10th-ranked Hawkeyes, looking to steady themselves after a rough West Coast swing, instead got blitzed by a red-hot Minnesota team that couldn’t miss from deep. The Gophers knocked down 10 of their 14 three-point attempts and handed Iowa a 91-85 loss in front of a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena - their first win in Iowa City since 2007.
Let that sink in: nearly two decades since Minnesota last left Carver with a victory, and they did it by simply outshooting and outworking the Hawkeyes on their home floor.
“We were very uninspired on the defensive end,” said head coach Jan Jensen, pulling no punches after Iowa’s third straight loss. “This was a very poor performance. We were really lackluster and missed a lot of assignments.”
It’s the kind of result that stings more than usual - not just because of what it means in the Big Ten standings, but because of how it unfolded. Iowa started strong, hitting its first six shots and jumping out to a quick 14-6 lead. But once Minnesota found its rhythm from the perimeter, the game flipped - and fast.
Down 27-24 early in the second quarter, the Gophers went on a 25-9 run that completely shifted the momentum. By halftime, Minnesota led 49-39, and Iowa never truly recovered.
The Gophers’ lead ballooned to 77-57 early in the fourth quarter after a steal and layup from Tori McKinney, capping a stretch of dominance that left the Hawkeyes scrambling.
Iowa did make a late push - Chit-Chat Wright buried a three with 50 seconds left to cut the deficit to eight, and Journey Houston added another triple to make it 90-85 with just 13 seconds remaining. But the hole was too deep, and the clock too short.
Wright was sensational despite the loss, finishing with 20 points, 12 assists, and just one turnover - the kind of stat line that usually leads to a win. “That was worthy of a win,” Jensen said. But it wasn’t enough to overcome a defense that simply didn’t show up.
Ava Heiden was a bright spot as well, pouring in 24 points before fouling out with two minutes left. Her presence in the paint was critical early, but as the game wore on, Iowa couldn’t match Minnesota’s energy or execution.
“We need to re-center and re-calibrate as a team,” Heiden said. “It’s not about panic - it’s about urgency.”
That urgency will have to wait a few days. Iowa’s next game isn’t until Wednesday, when they host Washington. And while a five-day break might be welcome for some teams, Jensen wasn’t thrilled about the downtime.
“I hate it right now,” she said. “After UCLA, I’d have played the next morning if they would let us.
I’m just wired that way. I hate the bye after we lose - capital ‘H’ to the ‘A’ to the ‘T’ to the ‘E.’”
Minnesota, on the other hand, is rolling. Grace Grocholski led the way with 21 points, while Mara Braun added 16 on a perfect 4-for-4 night from beyond the arc. McKinney chipped in 15, including that momentum-sealing steal and layup in the fourth.
The Gophers have now won five straight and look like a team finding its stride at the right time. They out-rebounded Iowa 41-28 and shot a blistering 71% from three. That’s not just hot - that’s scorching.
For Iowa, the loss drops them to 18-5 overall and 9-3 in the Big Ten. They’re still very much in the conference race, but the margin for error is shrinking. And with key injuries like Taylor McCabe’s season-ending knee injury still looming large, the Hawkeyes will need to regroup - fast.
There’s still time to right the ship, but Thursday night was a reminder: nothing is guaranteed, not even in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.