The Iowa Hawkeyes just wrapped up a West Coast trip they’d probably like to forget - and fast.
Two games. Two double-digit losses. And now, some soul-searching ahead.
On Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles, No. 8 Iowa ran into a buzzsaw in second-ranked UCLA, falling 88-65 in a game that underscored some growing pains for a team with championship aspirations. The Bruins dominated the paint, outscoring Iowa 56-26 inside - a 30-point difference that told the story of the game.
UCLA’s depth and size were on full display. Angela Dugalic came off the bench and lit it up for 22 points, leading a balanced Bruins attack that also featured 17 from Kiki Rice and 16 from Lauren Betts. With the win, UCLA extended its winning streak to 15 games and stayed perfect in Big Ten play at 11-0.
For Iowa, it was the second straight tough loss on the trip after falling to USC on Thursday night, 81-69. That drops the Hawkeyes to 18-4 overall and 9-2 in the Big Ten - now sitting in third place in the conference standings.
Turnovers were a glaring issue once again. Iowa coughed it up 19 times against UCLA, and head coach Jan Jensen didn’t sugarcoat it afterward.
“I think this trip can be summed up that we had a lot of turnovers,” Jensen said on her postgame radio show. “I thought we were just a little bit timid, a little bit on our heels.”
That hesitation showed up in the third quarter. Iowa trailed by as many as 22 points late in the period but managed to claw back within 13 on a Taylor Stremlow three-pointer with just over seven minutes to play. It forced a UCLA timeout and gave the Hawkeyes a flicker of momentum.
But the Bruins slammed the door shut with a 20-6 run over the next five minutes, reasserting control and putting the game out of reach.
Despite the loss, there were some bright spots for Iowa. Freshman Ava Heiden, who had been quiet in the first half, erupted for 14 points in the third quarter alone and finished with a team-high 19. Her emergence in the post could be a key development as the season moves forward.
Hannah Stuelke added 13 points and eight rebounds, Stremlow chipped in 12, and Chit-Chat Wright contributed 10 points along with a team-best seven assists.
Still, the Hawkeyes know this wasn’t their best showing - and they’ll need to regroup quickly. Minnesota comes to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Thursday night, and with the Big Ten race heating up, every game from here on out carries weight.
“We’ve had a tough stretch. Now we’ve got to dig in,” Jensen said.
“We’ve got to keep battling. We don’t want two losses to snowball.”
The road wasn’t kind to Iowa this time, but the season is far from over. The Hawkeyes have the talent, the experience, and now, a little adversity to fuel the next chapter.