Hawkeyes fall to #17 Michigan State in their Big Ten opener
Michigan State would likely tell you that they felt this one coming. Overtime in ’22 and a Caitlin Clark buzzer beater in ’23, the Hawkeyes had eked out three-point wins over the Spartans in their last two meetings. On Sunday, MSU erased a nine-point deficit down the stretch and held on for a, 68-66, win over the 21st-ranked Hawkeyes at the Breslin Center. It snaps a four-game winning streak for Iowa in Big Ten openers.
“Michigan State is really physical, probably one of the most physical teams (we will play),” said assistant coach Randi Henderson. “We didn’t handle the pressure extremely well. I think something that we have to just keep getting better at is our decision making under pressure.”
“It’s important to have some of these experiences, so we know what we need to get better at, and this is a game that showed us again, that we’ve got to get a little tougher with the ball.”
Days after a win over in-state rival Iowa State that required a late run from the Hawkeyes, the reverse happened, with Michigan State going on an 18-2 surge in the fourth quarter. They went without a field goal for 5:11 in the final quarter and totaled 23 turnovers for the game. Still, an opportunity arose for Iowa to win in the final seconds, but the final look from Lucy Olsen wouldn’t go.
Olsen, who has been so consistent all season, put a season-low 13 points on 4/17 (23.5%) shooting from the floor. It was an uncharacteristic night from her, but the Hawkeyes will board the plane back to Iowa City understanding that they gave one away.
“Offensively, we just wish could have executed one possession better,” said Henderson. “This is a tough team and a team that is not going to quit. This is a team that is team that is super resilient and they always compete.”
A defensive battle throughout, the Hawkeyes got the three-ball going in the second half and appeared to have fought through some ball handling issues to take control of the game in the fourth quarter. Kylie Feuerbach hit a career-high four three-pointers, with two of them coming in the first 70 seconds to extend the Iowa lead to 58-49.
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The Spartans answered back on the back of Ball State transfer Nyla Hampton. A transition three-pointer from Theryn Hallock helped the cause, but Hampton was nearly unstoppable, scoring 12 points during MSU’s 18-2 run. She came into the game, averaging just 4.6 points per game, but was the X-factor late in the game.
A layup from Hampton put the Spartans up 67-60 with 3:17 to play, but the Hawkeyes were able to get a couple of defensive stops and clawed their way back. A second chance basket from Taylor Stremlow cut it to 67-66, while Syd Affolter converted a pair at the free throw line to make it 67-66 with just 20.1 to play.
At the other end, Theryn Hallock missed her first at the line, while MSU was called for a lane violation on the second, giving Iowa a prime opportunity to steal a win. On the Hawkeyes final possession, they got the ball in the hands of Lucy Olsen, but her contested midrange jumper that came up short off the front iron. Nyla Hampton added a free throw with 1.0 remaining to bookend her fourth quarter outburst and Michigan State pulled out the 68-66 win.
On the night, Hannah Stuelke led the way with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Lucy Olsen (13) and Kylie Feuerbach (12) scored in double figures. The Hawkeyes were 19 of 52 (36.5%) from the floor and 9 of 25 (36.0%). Although their 23 turnovers were not super costly, with MSU turning them into just 14 points, those empty possessions were ultimately the difference.
Up Next: The Hawkeyes will return to Iowa City for their final non-conference games, hosting the Northern Iowa Panthers on Friday night. Tipoff is set for 6:30pm CT on BTN+.
