Iowa women’s basketball passed their first true challenge of the young 2024-25 campaign on Sunday with a 71-52 victory versus Virginia Tech at the Ally Tipoff from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.
The Hawkeyes and Hokies started in a back-and-forth affair before Iowa was able to close out the first quarter with a 10-point lead. The second quarter saw Virginia Tech claw back into the game to end the first half down by just four points.
The third quarter saw Iowa expand its lead to a 16-point advantage thanks to stellar defensive plays and 3-pointers from senior guards Sydney Affolter and Kylie Feuerbach.
As the fourth quarter rolled around, the Hawkeyes were able to ride the offensive momentum created in the third to close out the Hokies for a convincing 71-52 win.
As a team, the Hawkeyes shot 46% from the field and 22.2% from deep, while collecting 46 rebounds, three steals and one block. In terms of areas of point production, the Hawkeyes dominated the interior by scoring 44 of their total 71 points from inside the paint.
While the victory over Virginia Tech was an all-around effort by the Hawkeyes, three players stood out as difference-makers contributing to the team’s success in Charlotte.
Lucy Olsen
Olsen finished with a team-leading 20-point performance, making 9-of-21 shots from the field that included 1-for-4 from beyond the arc. Olsen also recorded six rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block in 39 minutes of play.
While Olsen led the score sheet, her ability to facilitate the ball into the paint to other teammates was a major contributor to the offensive success throughout the night for the Hawkeyes.
The aggressive style of play that Olsen has shown so far is exactly what the Hawkeyes will rely on offensively this season.
Addison O’Grady
O’Grady had herself a stellar shooting performance as she registered 18 points on a 9-for-9 from the field to go along with three rebounds and one steal in 26 minutes played.
The senior center’s perfect shooting night allowed the Hawkeyes to take control of the offensive interior, which was a massive area of production throughout the night for Iowa.
Hannah Stuelke
Stuelke had a solid performance Sunday afternoon as well by scoring 16 points and finishing with seven rebounds and two assists. While her shooting from the field was 6-for-17, she did finish 4-for-6 from the free throw line.
Even though Stuelke’s scoring performance hides behind Olsen and O’Grady, the ability to secure rebounds and push the ball upcourt is a skill that coach Jan Jensen certainly appreciates.
The Hawkeyes now improve to 2-0 on the campaign and return home to face the Toledo Rockets (1-0) from Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. CT. The game is set to be broadcast and air on the Big Ten Network.
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