The Iowa women’s basketball team (11-2, 2-0 Big Ten) returned to Big Ten conference play on a snowy Sunday to take on the Penn State Lady Lions (7-6, 0-2 Big Ten). The Hawkeyes were looking to get to 2-0 in league play before the New Year in their conference home opener.
Iowa did that in style at a packed Carver-Hawkeye Arena, defeating Penn State, 99-76, to send the fans home happy. It was a balanced effort, with everyone chipping in to help ensure the Hawkeyes got the win in convincing fashion.
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What did we learn about the Hawkeyes from this game? Are they setting themselves up well for future success in the Big Ten? Here are the three biggest takeaways from the Hawkeyes’ dominant win over Penn State:
Chit-Chat gets things started early
Chit-Chat Wright has been a revelation for the Hawkeyes this season, and she was fantastic once again on Sunday. The Georgia Tech transfer had 12 points early on in this game, finishing her afternoon with 16 points, three rebounds, and six assists. Iowa relied heavily on Wright to get them started in this game and to control the game before the rest of the roster found its rhythm. And Wright did just that, and more.
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The Hawkeyes felt the absence of Wright when she was hurt, and Iowa head women’s basketball coach Jan Jensen is pleased to have her point guard and floor general back on the court for conference play. She’ll be super important for this team as the competition continues to ramp up, and performances like this should inspire a lot of confidence in her ability to lead the offense to a lot of success.
Ava Heiden’s career game
In what’s been a breakout season for the sophomore center, this may have been the magnum opus for Ava Heiden so far. Heiden finished with a career-high 27 points, to go along with nine rebounds. She was 13-of-19 from the floor and showed off some other aspects of her game, nailing some mid-range jumpers in the process. She was getting whatever she wanted in the post and kept the Lady Lions honest all game.
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Heiden is an early candidate for Big Ten Player of the Year, and Sunday’s game showed why she’s a serious candidate for that award. She’s found a great role in Jensen’s offense and is looking like the next great big for this Iowa program. This team’s youth is a big reason for optimism and excitement heading into the New Year and future Big Ten games.
Iowa controlled the glass
Iowa has the pieces it needs to control the game on the glass and in the paint, which it showed impressively on Sunday. The Hawkeyes outrebounded Penn State, 48-27, including an astounding 21 offensive rebounds. Freshman forward Journey Houston had six of those offensive boards, en route to an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. Those rebounds helped Iowa outscore the Lady Lions, 56-34 in the paint, which was the difference in the game.
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Iowa’s post players are really good, with Heiden, Hannah Stuelke, Houston, and even freshman Layla Hays all being capable of taking over stretches of games. That quartet of bigs is a perfect fit in Jensen’s system, which prioritizes scoring in the paint and controlling the glass. Iowa did all of that and more on Sunday, leading to a big home victory. This was a very impressive showing from that group.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Takeaways as Iowa women’s basketball cruises vs. Penn State
