It was a game Iowa was supposed to win and they didn’t let the 13, 609 fans down at Carver Hawkeye Arena, stifling UNI from the jump with a defense that allowed just 11 first-half points, one above the program record for fewest points allowed in a half, while 10 Iowa players contributed to the scoring effort. Dani Carnegie eclipsed 1,000 career points with a season-high 22 points as the No. 10 University of Iowa women’s basketball team cruised past Northern Iowa, 78-40, Thursday night inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The Hawkeyes jumped out to an 18-5 lead in the opening quarter, with Carnegie opening the scoring on a fast-break layup off a steal by Chazadi ‘Chit-Chat’ Wright. Iowa closed the period on a 9-0 run, holding Northern Iowa scoreless over the final 4:11. Heiden sparked the run with a layup, followed by a transition 3-pointer from Wright. McKenna Woliczko and Carnegie added baskets to close the quarter. Woliczko grabbed five rebounds as Iowa shot 53.3 percent from the field.
Iowa broke the game open in the second quarter with a 15-0 run, extending its lead to 35-9. Heiden started the surge with a second-chance layup before Wright connected from beyond the arc. Carnegie added a transition 3-pointer, while Journey Houston and Woliczko contributed baskets during the run. The Hawkeyes outscored UNI 22-6 in the period, holding the Panthers to 11 first-half points, one above the program record for fewest points allowed in a half (10). Carnegie capped the half with a fast-break layup to reach 1,000 career points off a turnover with one second remaining, sending Iowa into the break with a 40-11 advantage.
The Hawkeyes continued to pull away in the third quarter, outscoring UNI 28-13 to take a 68-24 lead. Carnegie scored seven points in the opening five minutes of the half, while Heiden and Woliczko combined for five points in a 23-second stretch to extend Iowa’s advantage. Later in the quarter, Stremlow blocked a Panther layup before finding Faison for a transition 3-pointer. Faison scored all seven of her points in the quarter, matching her career high.
Iowa extended its lead to a game-high 46 points following a jumper from Bria Medina with 4:02 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Head Coach Jan Jenson commented, “I thought the way we started the game was excellent. I loved our defensive intensity in the first half. That was great. I thought both Dani and McKenna did a really nice job offensively, but the defensive intensity from the beginning was what stood out.”
“Dani let the game come to her a little bit more. There was only one shot she took tonight that I didn’t like. I thought she played well from the beginning, and both Dani and McKenna were bright spots offensively.”
“She [McKenna] has such a mature mindset and a championship mindset. She went into one of the toughest environments in women’s basketball at UConn, playing against Sarah Strong, who I believe will be one of the greats to ever play in college. That’s a tall order. After the game and in film the next day, McKenna’s mindset was about learning from the experience and figuring out what she needed to do better. She has a killer mindset, and I think that’s what will continue to propel her to become a tremendous collegiate player.”
The Hawkeyes return to action Sunday, Nov. 15, facing No. 8 Vanderbilt at noon in Sioux City, Iowa. Iowa will then host Montana State on Thursday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m. Hear both games on MC 93.
