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No.9 Iowa fended off a tough challenge from the visiting Illinois, 82-78, in their last regular-season home game.
It also marked the last game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena for Hannah Stuelke, Taylor McCabe, Kylie Feuerbach and Jada Gyamfi, the four seniors who were the last remaining members of the two teams that made it to the 2023 and 2024 national championship games.
It was a back-and-forth battle in which both sides had control before relinquishing it to the other. In the end, the Hawkeyes came away victorious thanks to a few notable moments.
Ava Heiden held it down in the paint by scoring 28 points. Her fellow sophomore, Taylor Stremlow, finished with a double-double of 11 points and 11 assists. Stuelke added 18 points of her own, bouncing back after going down with an elbow injury in the first quarter.
Nevertheless, Illinois, led by Berry Wallace, who would end the night with 21 points, and Cearah Parchment, who finished with a 20-point and 12-rebound double-double, kept the Illini in contention, especially from the 3-point line as they went 11-for-19 from beyond the arc. Additionally, former Hawkeye Aaliyah Guyton finished with 11 points.
The game ultimately came down to the fourth quarter. With 29 seconds left and Iowa leading 75-73, Stuelke and Heiden executed a perfect pick-and-roll with Stuelke bouncing it to Heiden to give Iowa a 78-73 lead.
Heiden credited Stuelke for her passing abilities that led to her finish. “She’s a beautiful passer,” Heiden said. “Everyone on this team is. I can’t do what I do without them. Every time I score, I try to point at the passer.”
The play was also a turning point that gave head coach Jan Jensen confidence that victory was in the Hawkeyes’ grasp. “That was the time to go to those two,” Jensen said after the game. “Hannah’s just shown that fortitude, and Ava’s stepping into those big moments.”
With 14 seconds left, Stuelke hit two big free throws to give the Hawkeyes a 79-75 lead after Wallace had hit two freebies for Illinois. Then, with 11 seconds left, Wallace hit a big 3-pointer to bring Illinois within one, 79-78.
Forced to foul, Illinois sent Chit-Chat Wright to the free throw line. She sank both of them to give the Hawkeyes an 81-78 lead. At the other end of the floor, Iowa was in position to win as Feuerbach drew a charge with 4.7 seconds left. Illinois then fouled Stuelke, who went 1-for-2 at the line to make it 82-78 and seal the deal.
This victory puts Iowa in a position to maintain the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, which would grant them a bye into the quarterfinals. They also remain in the running for as high as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which is where they are projected in ESPN’s latest Bracketology.
Iowa’s final regular-season game is Sunday at Wisconsin.
