Women’s College Basketball: Iowa Hawkeyes torch Michigan Wolverines, 59-42, to reach BIG10 Tournament final

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Behind a smothering defensive effort and a milestone performance from junior forward Hannah Stuelke, the No. 2 seed Iowa Hawkeyes secured a place in the Big Ten Tournament Championship with a 59-42 victory over No. 3 seed Michigan on Saturday afternoon. The win marks Iowa’s third trip to the conference title game in the last four seasons and their 15th consecutive victory when guard Taylor Stremlow is in the starting lineup. The Hawkeyes, now 26-5 overall, utilized an elite defensive scheme to hold a Michigan offense that averages 85 points per game to just 42, limiting the Wolverines to nearly half of their seasonal output.

Hannah Stuelke anchored the Hawkeyes’ effort inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse, recording her 20th career double-double with 13 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Freshman center Ava Heiden continued her historic scoring streak, netting 16 points to reach double figures for the 19th consecutive game and the fourth straight Big Ten Tournament contest dating back to last season. Complementing the frontcourt, Chit-Chat Wright notched 13 points for her third straight game in double figures, while Taylor Stremlow filled the stat sheet with 11 points, six assists, and six rebounds. Stremlow’s elite ball security was on full display as she improved her recent stretch to 31 assists against just six turnovers over the last four games.

Defensively, the Hawkeyes were relentless, holding Michigan and previous opponent Illinois to a combined 8-of-35 from three-point range during their stay in Indianapolis. Iowa’s dominance over Michigan was particularly evident in the closing stages, as the Hawkeyes have now outscored the Wolverines 44-13 in the fourth quarter across their matchups this season.

With this win, Iowa improves to 5-0 all-time against Michigan in Big Ten Tournament play and remains a perfect 20-0 this season when leading at halftime. Head coach Jan Jensen, now 4-1 in the conference tournament through her first two seasons, will lead the Hawkeyes into a championship showdown against No. 1 seed UCLA on Sunday at 1:15 p.m. (CT).