The No. 22-ranked Iowa women’s basketball team (8-0) wrapped up a perfect record in the two-game Cancun Challenge from the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya with a close 69-62 win over Rhode Island on Thursday and a blowout 68-48 victory against BYU on Friday.
In the two games combined, the Hawkeyes‘ offense shot 49-for-99 (49.5%) from the field and 17-for-40 (42.5%) from 3-point territory. The team also finished with a combined 66 rebounds and 34 assists.
Defensively, Iowa held Rhode Island and BYU to a combined 40-for-109 (36.7%) from the field and 15-for-42 (35.7%) from deep. Iowa also collected 18 steals and eight blocks combined through the two games played in Cancun.
With the Hawkeyes returning to the cold midwest weather of Iowa City, here’s a look at Iowa’s three stars from the Cancun Classic.
Addison O’Grady
AOG came up B1G last night 😤@addiogrady22 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/1EOGp8XThy
— Iowa Women’s Basketball (@IowaWBB) November 29, 2024
Senior center Addison O’Grady continued her dominating role at center by finishing with the two-game invitational with 30 points on 14-of-17 shooting (82.4%) from the field, including 2-for-2 (100%) from the charity stripe.
The senior also added nine assists, nine rebounds, six blocks, and one steal to her total in both games.
For O’Grady, this is another impressive set of performances that should bring deserved recognition later on in the season.
Hannah Stuelke
Junior forward Hannah Stuelke had two solid performances for the Hawkeyes by scoring 29 points on 10-for-17 shooting (58.8%) from the field, 2-of-6 (33.3%) from deep, and 8-for-14 (57.1%) from the free throw line.
The junior forward also added a combined 12 rebounds, five assists, and two steals for the Hawkeyes while in Mexico.
While expected, Stuelke’s consistent scoring and rebounding presence is always well appreciated, especially as the season progresses.
Aaliyah Guyton
Freshman guard Aaliyah Guyton made a major contribution off the bench throughout the Cancun Challenge as she contributed 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting (66.6%) from the field, 5-of-6 (83.3%) from deep, and 1-of-2 from the free throw line.
She also added four assists, four rebounds, one steal, and one rebound to her 39 minutes of game time throughout the invitational.
With Lucy Olsen recovering from an injury sustained during the trip, Guyton’s play was much appreciated, especially in a depth role.
Iowa returns to action on Dec. 7 as they head to Brooklyn, N.Y. where they will play in the Women’s Champions Classic vs. Tennessee. Game time for that matchup is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on Fox and on the Hawkeye Radio Network.
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