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Defense shines, Hawkeyes earn a gritty win over Michigan State

On3 imageby: Kyle Huesmann03/07/25HuesmannKyle
The Hawkeyes huddle during a game against Michigan State at the Big Ten Tournament. (Photo by Dennis Scheidt)
The Hawkeyes huddle during a game against Michigan State at the Big Ten Tournament. (Photo by Dennis Scheidt)

All the momentum had flipped in favor of the Spartans. After the Hawkeyes seized control with a big run in the second quarter, all they did to build a lead was quickly wiped away and midway through the third quarter, they trailed 46-41. On the verge of crumbling and tumbling to a Big Ten Tournament exit, Jan Jensen needed someone to create a spark to stabilize things.

Insert Ava Heiden.

March consistently delivers unsung heroes and the freshman from Oregon stepped up when the game was trending away from the Hawkeyes. Her play in the second half, specifically in the third quarter kept the game from fully turning in favor of the Spartans.

“I’m not surprised because I had a conversation before our last game. I met with her and just continued to lay out the plan. She’s a real smart kid, highly intelligent. She gets it,” said head coach Jan Jensen. “I just knew when we needed her, I felt like I would be comfortable to give her a shot. I am so thrilled that she was able to answer like she did.”

Adversity started to snowball against the Hawkeyes early in the third quarter. After taking a 32-25 lead into halftime, back-to-back triples from Jocelyn Tate and Theryn Hallock quickly cut the advantage to one point. The next dose of adversity came via the whistle. Questionable calls on Lucy Olsen and Hannah Stuelke put them both in foul trouble with three apiece, while Jan Jensen picked up her first technical foul of the season. In the blink of an eye, Michigan State had a 46-41 lead. The game teetered on the edge and may have even leaned the Spartans way for a moment.

Taylor McCabe stopped the bleeding with a three-pointer, but it was going to take more than a well-timed triple to turn the tides back in favor of the Hawkeyes. With Stuelke on the bench, Ava Heiden kickstarted the rally, with six points in 83 seconds to help spark an 8-0 run to end the third quarter. With everything that transpired in the quarter, Iowa saw their halftime lead grow by one point going into the fourth. Heiden finished with 11 points and four rebounds over 12 minutes on the floor.

“I think all the reps I’ve been putting in in the dark have been helping a lot,” said Heiden. “Just waiting for my opportunity and working towards it. So that when I do get that, I can shine.”

“Ava’s spark got us going, and we just didn’t want to lose that game,” said Lucy Olsen.

Although the Hawkeyes were able to stabilize the game and keep their lead intact, they still had to close out the win. Another basket from Heiden, followed by another McCabe triple a couple of possessions later pushed the lead to 64-55 with 5:47 to play. In East Lansing, Iowa let a nine-point fourth quarter lead slip. This time, they accelerated to the finish line. Fueled by a Kylie Feuerbach layup late in the shot clock and a dagger three-pointer with under a minute to play, the Hawkeyes finished the game on an 8-0 run, securing a spot in the quarterfinals with a 74-61 win.

“We’ve been having some fun in February. We thought we were poised to have some nice, exciting moments in March. So that’s what we’ve been talking a lot about. But March is madness, right? So, you’re never guaranteed moments like this,” said Jensen. “But if there’s a group that’s been working and been believing and been relentless in their pursuit of chasing fun and chasing success, it’s been this group. I’m just so thankful they’ve had a moment like this tonight.”

As important as the momentum swings of the third quarter were to the final result, the Hawkeyes set themselves up for success with a big second quarter push. The first quarter was chaotic, lacked rhythm and looked pretty ugly, with MSU grabbing a 16-12 lead, despite seven turnovers. Iowa shot just 4/16 over the first ten minutes, but were shot out of a cannon in the second quarter.

Known for their defense and a press that forces opponents to pile up on the mistakes, the Spartans found themselves committing turnover after turnover. The Iowa defense forced 15 first half turnovers and held MSU scoreless for the first 6:43 of the second quarter. Their 16-0 run during that span allowed them to build a 28-16 lead after a less than ideal start on the offensive end.

The turnover battle was going to be a major factor in the result, just like it was in the first meeting back in December, but the Hawkeyes flipped the script this time around. They forced MSU into 24 turnovers, while limiting themselves to 17 turnovers. Iowa won the points off turnovers battle 28-12.

On the night, the Hawkeyes shot 26 of 55 (47.3%) from the floor, 6 of 25 (24.0%) from three-point range and 16 of 21 (76.2%) from the free throw line. Lucy Olsen finished with a game-high 21 points, five rebounds, nine assists and four steals, while Hannah Stuelke added a double-double 12 points, ten rebounds. Taylor McCabe chipped in 12 points, including four made threes.

Up Next: The Hawkeyes will face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Friday night, with a spot in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals on the line. Tipoff is set for ~8:00pm CT on the Big Ten Network.

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