MADISON, Wis. — Behind a dominant double-double from center Ava Heiden and a stifling second-half defensive performance, the No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes cruised to an 81-52 victory over Wisconsin at the Kohl Center on Sunday afternoon.
The win extends Iowa’s remarkable winning streak over the Badgers to 32 consecutive games and officially clinches the No. 2 seed and a double-bye in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.
Ava Heiden continued her late-season surge, leading all scorers with 16 points on an efficient 8-of-11 shooting. She also dominated the glass with 14 rebounds, marking her ninth career double-double. Heiden has been nearly unstoppable lately, shooting 73% (54-of-73) from the floor over her last five games. Remarkably, the sophomore has reached double figures in 17 straight contests, scoring at least 10 points against every Big Ten opponent this season.
In her fifth consecutive start, Taylor Stremlow proved once again to be a lucky charm for the Hawkeyes. Iowa improved to 13-0 this season when Stremlow is in the starting lineup. The sophomore guard flirted with a triple-double, recording:
- 12 points (her fourth double-digit performance in five games)
- 9 assists (her third game with 8+ assists in the last four)
- 5 rebounds
With Hannah Stuelke sidelined due to an upper-body injury, Journey Houston earned her second career start, while Chit-Chat Wright provided a spark with 14 points, including four triples. Layla Hays (10 points, 8 rebounds) and Teagan Mallegni (season-high 10 points) also reached double figures to round out a balanced Iowa attack.
The victory wasn’t just another win in the column; it represented several historic benchmarks for the program and head coach Jan Jensen:
- Coaching History: Jensen became the first coach in Iowa history to record 15+ Big Ten wins in their second season.
- Halftime Security: The Hawkeyes improved to 18-0 this season when leading at the break.
- Conference Consistency: This marks the 11th time in program history Iowa has reached 15 conference wins and the 21st time they have finished in the top two of the Big Ten.
- Defensive Clamp: After a competitive first half, Iowa outscored Wisconsin 26-9 in the third quarter to break the game open.
Series dominance
Iowa now leads the all-time series against Wisconsin 62-20. The Hawkeyes have made the Kohl Center a second home, winning by 15 or more points in each of their last nine trips to Madison.
The Hawkeyes (24-5, 15-3) now head to Indianapolis with a week to prepare for the Big Ten Tournament.
As the 2-seed, Iowa will skip the first two rounds and play their first game in the quarterfinals on Friday, March 6, at 5:30 p.m. (CT) inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
Would you like me to look up the full Big Ten Tournament bracket to see who Iowa’s potential Friday opponents are?
