The Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team was up against the odds playing their third game in as many days in the Big Ten Tournament when they tipped off against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Despite the tired legs and undeniable fatigue lurking within the Hawkeyes, they fought tooth and nail against the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. They almost pulled off the upset with a valiant effort before falling 60-59.
The loss stings and is an exit from the Big Ten Tournament, but it does provide Iowa with some needed, and deserved, rest time before the NCAA Tournament gets underway. As Iowa heads home from this tournament, here are the takeaways from the strong effort.
Scoring from everywhere
The Hawkeyes are not reliant on one scorer. This team can turn to a multitude of players to score in many ways. They can score from inside, midrange jumpers, and three-point shooting.
Iowa had 14 points from Hannah Stuelke to go with her 12 rebounds for yet another double-double. Sydney Affolter added 14, Lucy Olsen had 14, and Ava Heiden poured in 10 points of her own. This team can rely on multiple scorers, and that’s a great thing to have in March.
Ava Heiden is forcing her way on the court
Ava Heiden is forcing her way onto the court for the Hawkeyes, and that is a very, very good thing. She is competing, scoring, rebounding, and becoming another interior presence for the Hawkeyes in a pleasant surprise down the stretch.
Following her 11 points against Michigan State in just 12 minutes, Heiden was extremely efficient against Ohio State, giving the Hawkeyes 10 points, 4 rebounds, and an assist in 15 minutes of action.
Keep knocking, the door will come down
If you keep banging on the door hard enough over and over again, eventually, it will come down. That is where the Hawkeyes sit right now. They are giving the top teams in America a test every time on the court and are right there.
If you continue to stay close, hang with the best teams, and have games come down to the final few possessions, that luck eventually changes and breaks your way. Iowa is due for their turn to be on the right side of one of these close games against the best teams in women’s college basketball.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa women’s basketball exits Big Ten Tournament to Ohio State
