Iowa women’s basketball improved to 4-0 on the season Sunday afternoon with an 86-73 victory vs. Drake (3-1) from the Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
The Bulldogs challenged the Hawkeyes at various times throughout the game, most notably when Drake went on a 14-5 run midway through the third quarter. However, the Hawkeyes’ offensive firepower proved strong enough to carry Iowa to victory.
As a team, the Hawkeyes shot 34-for-65 (52.3%) from the field, including 7-for-20 (35.0%) from 3-point territory and 11-for-17 (64.7%) from the free throw line. Iowa also continued their dominance from within the paint this season by outscoring Drake 46-10 in that area.
Defensively, Iowa gathered 41 rebounds (9 offensive, 31 defensive), eight steals, and three blocks.
While many Hawkeyes performed well on Sunday, below are the three stars that guided Iowa to its fourth victory.
Addison O’Grady
Senior Addison O’Grady led the Hawkeyes’ offense Sunday with a career-high 27 points and 10 rebounds in 33:20 of play, earning her second-career double-double.
O’Grady shot 13-for-21 from the field, which included a perfect 7-for-7 performance in the first quarter. The center also gathered one steal and three blocks on the defensive side of the ball.
O’Grady’s impressive showing is exactly the kind of play that the Hawkeyes envisioned heading into the season, and they will look for it to continue as conference play nears.
Lucy Olsen
Lucy Olsen had another impressive performance on Sunday with 18 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals. Olsen shot 7-for-15 from the field, including 1-for-5 from deep and 3-for-4 from the free throw line.
Olsen’s play vs. Drake is a continuation of a stellar start to her Hawkeye career, which Iowa will certainly hope to extend further with competition getting tougher.
Teagan Mallegni
Mallegni was a key contributor off the bench for the Hawkeyes Sunday as she contributed 13 points on 5-of-10 from the field, including 3-for-7 from deep. During her 14:13 of playing time, Mallegni gathered three rebounds and also dished out one assist.
The freshman guard’s impact off the bench was critical to the Hawkeyes’ ability to keep their distance from the Bulldogs, with other starters getting rest throughout the game.
The Hawkeyes’ next game will also be on Nov. 20, when they travel to the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., for a neutral-site tilt vs. Kansas (4-0).
Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network and through the air on the Hawkeye Radio Network.
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