Thursday night was a frustrating one as No. 8 Iowa women’s basketball was on the wrong end of an upset inside the Galen Center. The Hawkeyes fell to 18-3 (9-1 Big Ten) and suffered their first conference loss in an 81-69 setback against unranked USC (12-9, 4-6 Big Ten).
A number of early Iowa turnovers set the tone, and USC made Iowa pay from there. The Trojans built an 18-point second-quarter lead and then rebuilt a lead of as many as 22 after the Hawkeyes had trimmed the deficit down to three points midway through the third quarter.
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As Iowa handles its first Big Ten loss, let’s dive into takeaways from the night:
Iowa’s first and third quarters doomed them
It took a while for Iowa to get off the bus. USC jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead before the Hawkeyes woke up and cut the deficit to 12-10. But, after Kylie Feuerbach hit a 3-pointer with 2:41 left in the first, the Trojans closed with a 13-0 scoring run to lead 28-13 heading into the second.
Turnovers were a major problem, especially early. Iowa coughed up seven first-quarter turnovers. USC would dominate the points off turnovers category, 19-3, on the night.
To Iowa’s credit, they cut the halftime deficit down to just six points after falling behind by as many as 18 early in the second quarter. Then, midway through the third quarter, Iowa looked as though it was on the comeback trail. The Hawkeyes had cut the deficit down to just three points with 5:34 left in the third quarter.
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But, Iowa was outscored 18-2 in the remainder of the third quarter, effectively ending its comeback chances heading into the fourth, trailing, 70-51.
USC’s three leading scorers, fastbreak offense key its upset win
USC’s three leading scorers—Jazzy Davidson, Kara Dunn and Londynn Jones—nearly matched Iowa’s scoring output, combining for 63 points and nine made 3-pointers.
In addition to its edge in points off turnovers, USC also had a decisive advantage in fastbreak points, outscoring Iowa, 20-10, in the category.
Journey Houston was a bright spot
Iowa freshman guard Journey Houston continues to have a great first season in Iowa City. The 6-foot frosh from Davenport, Iowa, netted a team-high 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting with eight rebounds and two assists.
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On a disappointing night, Houston was a bright spot.
Iowa women’s basketball might rethink the starting lineup
Freshman guard Addie Deal had been playing her best basketball coming into Thursday night, averaging 12.0 points, 2.3 assists, and 2.0 rebounds per game on 55.9% shooting from the field and 50% from 3-point territory during the Hawkeyes’ four-game stretch ahead of its date at USC.
That included 18 points in a win over Oregon and a career-high 20 points in a win over Ohio State.
But, in a road environment, Deal struggled through a scoreless night on 0-of-2 shooting with a trio of turnovers. Maybe Deal is still best served coming off the bench for now.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Takeaways as Iowa women’s basketball suffers upset loss at USC
