The No. 23 Iowa Hawkeyes suffered their second-consecutive loss, falling to the Illinois Fighting Illini on the road by a score of 62-57.
The defeat puts the Hawkeyes in unfamiliar territory, as they experienced their first back-to-back losses in Big Ten conference play since February 2021, Caitlin Clark’s freshman season. Back then, they lost to Ohio State and Indiana. This loss will likely drop the Hawkeyes out of the top 25, and even lower in the Big Ten standings.
Iowa’s defeat was compounded by four critical factors:
The Hawkeyes shot an even 40 percent from the field. They shot 25 percent from the 3-point line and 47 percent from the free throw line.
Speaking of free throws, the most critical deficit for the Hawkeyes came at the line. While they went 8-for-17 at the line, the Fighting Illini were a perfect 8-for-8. Down the stretch, there were moments where the Hawkeyes could have tied the game or taken the lead had they made free throws.
With 7:56 remaining in the fourth quarter, Addison O’Grady went 1-for-2 at the line when the Hawkeyes trailed 52-51. At the 6:38 mark, Kylie Feuerbach missed both free throws; making one would have tied the game at 52, while hitting both would given the Hawkeyes a 53-52 lead. Sydney Affolter, who was courageously battling the flu, went 1-for-2 at the line with 2:54 remaining. If she had she made them both, it would have brought the Hawkeyes within two points; instead, it was 57-54. Hannah Stuelke was the best at the line, going 4-for-5. After she missed her only free throw at the 2:11 mark, she made the second, which left Iowa trailing 60-55. Then, Affolter missed both free throw attempts with 18 seconds left before the Illini put the game to bed.
“I think everyone will be in the gym getting those extra free throws out,” Lucy Olsen said after the game. “It won’t happen again, I’m confident.”
Iowa was held to only 57 points, their lowest output of the season. The Hawkeyes suffered through various scoring droughts because of the Illini defense, while the Illinois managed to put together scoring runs at crucial points of the game.
Due to that defense, the Hawkeyes turned the ball over 18 times, whereas the Fighting Illini only had 10 giveaways.
Despite the loss, the dynamic duo of Stuelke and Olsen kept the Hawkeyes in contention. Stuelke came away with a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds, including 11 defensive rebounds. Olsen finished with 14 points, five assists and four rebounds. She also scored two of the team’s five 3-pointers. They combined for 30 of the team’s 55 field goal attempts.
It was also the first official start for freshman Aaliyah Guyton, and it came in her home state. She finished with a basket, a rebound and an assist in 16 minutes of play. Despite the numbers, she was entrusted with the starting role due to her ability to score, play defense and handle the ball well. Head coach Jan Jensen expressed her confidence in Guyton after the game, sharing:
12-for-20 [from 3 for the season], plus defense, she gives me another ball handling guard. She has shown what she can do. I think it’s pretty evident she’s been the most consistent kid off the bench. When we are pressed, I haven’t had a ball handler that can handle the press. I had to limit her minutes because she’s coming back. She’s just about full go and she’s gonna have really really great moments.
It’s tough, this is her home state, it could have worked out either way. She could have been 3-for-4 [from 3] and won by 15 and everyone’s wondering why I didn’t start her at the beginning of the year or beginning when she came back. So that is why if you look at her numbers aside from tonight, she didn’t have that many turnovers. She finishes at the rim and she makes you pay at 3 and she plays D. The moment was probably just a little big tonight.
The Hawkeyes are on their heels for the first time in a long time. They are now tied with Illinois for 11th in the Big Ten.
Iowa (12-4, 2-3) will be back home on Sunday, Jan. 12 to take on Indiana (11-4, 3-1) at 3 p.m. ET.
