WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Without veteran star Hannah Stuelke on the floor due to an upper-body injury, head coach Jan Jensen had to rely on a remarkably young starting five inside Mackey Arena on Thursday night.
The youth movement absolutely delivered.
Starting two freshmen and two sophomores for the first time in the Jensen era, No. 13 Iowa came out completely unbothered, shooting the lights out early to defeat Purdue 83-74. The victory bumped the Hawkeyes to 21-5 (12-3 Big Ten), while the Boilermakers dropped to 12-13 (4-11 Big Ten).
It was the youngest starting lineup Iowa has fielded in 169 games, dating back to March 27, 2021, when a freshman named Caitlin Clark and three sophomores started in the Sweet 16 against UConn. Much like those teams of the past, this young core proved lethal from the opening tip.
The Hawkeyes caught fire immediately, shooting a blistering, season-high 80 percent (12-of-15) from the field in the first quarter. The early spark plug? Taylor Stremlow.
Making just her 10th start of the season—and her third consecutive—Stremlow went absolutely nuclear from beyond the arc. In a staggering display of efficiency, she had already tied her career-high of 19 points with 4:36 still remaining in the second quarter. She finished the night with 19 points on 5-of-6 shooting from 3-point range, three rebounds, and tied her career-high with eight assists. Over her last two games, Stremlow is an absurd 8-of-10 from deep, and Iowa boasts a perfect 10-0 record when she is in the starting lineup this season.
Inside the paint, Ava Heiden was an unstoppable anchor. She recorded her seventh career double-double with a team-high 21 points on a highly efficient 10-of-12 shooting, alongside 13 rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Heiden has now reached double figures in 14 straight games—all against Big Ten opponents. Thursday marked her team-best ninth 20-plus-point performance of the season and her third double-double with at least 20 points.
Journey Houston, making her first career start as a Hawkeye in Stuelke’s absence, looked right at home in the bright lights. She tied her career-high with 16 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished two assists. Continuing a notable trend, all seven of Houston’s career double-digit scoring games have come against Big Ten foes.
Kylie Feuerbach added a crucial 10 points and two assists, marking her fourth double-figure game of the year and her fifth time hitting multiple 3-pointers. Meanwhile, Chit-Chat Wright kept the offense flowing flawlessly with six points and seven assists—her fourth outing in the last five games with at least seven helpers. The collective playmaking was contagious, as Iowa dished out 20-plus assists for the ninth time in their last 10 games.
The victory marked Iowa’s 10th consecutive win over the Boilermakers, officially giving the Hawkeyes a 41-40 edge in the all-time series. It also extended Iowa’s impressive offensive trend: they are 23-2 when scoring 80 or more points over the last two seasons.
Head coach Jan Jensen is also closing in on history. With the win at Mackey Arena, Jensen is now just two victories away from 46 wins in her first two seasons, which would break Angie Lee’s record (45) for the most by an Iowa women’s basketball coach in program history.
Up Next:
The nationally ranked Hawkeyes won’t have long to celebrate. They return to Iowa City for Senior Day this Sunday, Feb. 22, to host No. 6 Michigan in a marquee, high-stakes Big Ten showdown. Tip-off is set for 11 a.m. (CT) and the contest will be broadcast nationally on FOX and the Hawkeye Radio Network.
