The No. 22-ranked Iowa women’s basketball team (10-2, 0-1 Big Ten) rebounded from their loss to Michigan State with a rugged 92-86 victory on Friday night vs. Northern Iowa (5-6) from Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
While the Panthers’ top scoring threat, Maya McDermott, scored an impressive 30 points, the Hawkeyes were able to stave off a late Northern Iowa charge to improve to 10-2 on the campaign.
Offensively, Iowa shot 31-for-62 (50%) from the field, 10-for-26 (38.5%) from deep, and 20-for-22 (90.9%) from the charity stripe. The Hawkeyes also outscored the Panthers 40-36 from within the paint, which has been a recipe for success so far for Iowa.
While Northern Iowa shot relatively well throughout the night, with 48.4% shooting from the field and 36% from beyond the arc, Iowa was able to force nine turnovers, including four steals and three blocks.
With another hard-fought victory in the books, here are three Hawkeyes that stood out Friday night.
Lucy Olsen
Olsen excelled once again Friday night with a team-high 21 points off 7-of-16 (43.8%) from the floor, 2-of-5 (40%) from deep, and 5-of-6 (83.3%) from the free-throw line.
In addition to her scoring, Olsen added seven assists and five rebounds to close out her 34 minutes of game action.
For Olsen, she is the obvious heartbeat of the Hawkeyes’ offensive attack and has been everything Iowa hoped for when they added the senior out of the offseason transfer portal.
Addison O’Grady
O’Grady had a monstrous game against the Panthers on Friday with 18 points off 8-of-10 (80%) from the field and 2-of-2 (100%) from the free-throw line. The sophomore center also added six rebounds and one assist to her 32 minutes of action.
O’Grady’s performance snaps her out of a “cold spell” as she had combined for 6 points on 26.65% shooting from the field over her previous two games.
With the Hawkeyes returning to conference play in their next game, Iowa would love to see O’Grady return to her dominant form at the five position.
Taylor McCabe
McCabe had a season-best scoring night on Friday, with 15 points on 5-of-9 (55.6%) from the floor, including 5-of-8 from three-point territory. She also contributed three assists, two rebounds, and two steals in her 29 minutes off the bench.
McCabe’s play is a welcoming sight for Iowa as it showcases their reliable bench scoring options, which will certainly come in handy later in the season when depth is tested.
With the holiday break providing coaches and players the ability to spend time with their families, Iowa returns to play on Sunday, Dec. 29, from Carver-Hawkeye Arena vs. Purdue.
Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT and will air on Big Ten Network Plus (BTN+, Subscription Required).
As always, the game will be broadcast on the Hawkeyes Radio Network.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.
Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
