IOWA CITY – On a night defined by milestones and a continued mastery of their home court, the No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes outlasted a gritty Illinois squad 82-78 on Thursday night. The victory secured a near-perfect home record for the season and cemented Head Coach Jan Jensen’s place in the program’s history books.
With the win, Jensen picked up her 46th career victory, officially setting a new program record for the most wins by an Iowa women’s basketball coach in their first two seasons.
Heiden’s Dominance Continues
Heiden’s consistency has become the bedrock of Iowa’s late-season surge:
She has now reached double figures in 16 straight games, scoring against every Big Ten opponent she has faced this year.
Over her last four outings, she is shooting a staggering 70% from the floor (46-of-62).
Thursday marked her 11th 20-point performance of the season.
Stuelke Enters Rare Air
While Heiden handled the scoring load, veteran Hannah Stuelke carved out her own legacy. Finishing with 18 points, five rebounds, and four assists, Stuelke became just the seventh player in Iowa history to amass over 1,500 points and 850 rebounds in a career.
She now joins an elite circle of Hawkeye legends, ranking as the 16th player to hit the 1,500-point milestone and the 9th to grab 850 boards.
The “Stremlow Factor”
The Hawkeyes also saw a breakout performance from Taylor Stremlow, who notched her first career double-double. Stremlow tallied 11 points and a career-high 11 assists, proving to be the ultimate lucky charm for Coach Jensen. The Hawkeyes are now a perfect 12-0 this season when Stremlow is in the starting lineup.
Rounding out the effort, Journey Houston provided a physical presence on the glass with a team-high eight rebounds to go along with nine points, while “Chit-Chat” contributed across the stat sheet with five assists and four boards.
A Fortress at Carver-Hawkeye
The atmosphere inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena remains the gold standard in women’s college basketball. Thursday marked Iowa’s 51st consecutive sell-out, a streak that dates back to 2023. This season alone, nearly 225,000 fans have passed through the gates to watch the Hawkeyes.
Home Court Highlights:
Iowa finishes the regular season with a dominant 14-1 home record.
The Hawkeyes have now beaten Illinois in 13 consecutive meetings in Iowa City.
Jan Jensen’s 14 home wins are the most ever by an Iowa coach in their second year.
What’s Next
The Hawkeyes (23-5, 14-3) will look to carry this momentum into their regular-season finale on the road. Iowa travels to Madison to face Wisconsin this Sunday, March 1. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT, with the game airing on B1G+.
