MADISON, Wis. – No. 9 Iowa defeated Wisconsin inside the Kohl Center on Sunday afternoon, 81-52 to secure the two seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament that starts Wednesday in Indianapolis.
Four Hawkeyes scored in double-digits on the day. Sophomore Ava Heiden led the pack with a double-double of 16 points (8-of-11) and 14 rebounds. Sophomore Chit-Chat Wright followed behind with 14 points of her own going 4-for-7 from three, dishing out two assists and five rebounds.
Five different Hawkeyes scored in the first quarter. Heiden went 5-for-6 scoring ten of Iowa’s 19 points and pulled down four rebounds. Iowa’s defense was able to put the pressure on, notching seven points on three Badger turnovers. The Hawkeyes finished the quarter up 19-16.
The Hawkeyes continued to share the scoring in the second quarter. Sophomore Taylor Stremlow led the scoring with four points (2-for-2), two rebounds, and two assists. Iowa shut down Wisconsin without a field goal for the last 2:25 of the quarter, producing a 33-29 lead at half.
Two Hawkeyes came out of halftime, draining back-to-back three-point baskets to give Iowa their largest lead of the day. Iowa continued to grow their lead as they went on a 10-2 run in the first four minutes of the third quarter. The Hawkeyes, led by Wright, knocked down 6-of-7 buckets from beyond the arc. Iowa outscored Wisconsin 26-9 in the third quarter, gaining a comfortable 59-38 lead.
The Badgers worked to get back in the game, but the Hawkeyes wouldn’t let it happen. After a few back and forth points, Iowa burst into a 7-0 run, leaving Wisconsin without a field goal for three minutes. The Hawkeyes kept their dominance and ran with it shooting 63.6 percent from beyond the arc in the half. Iowa closed out their regular season with a powerful 81-52 win.
Up next is a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament with a game at 5:30 p.m. on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
