Hawkeyes use fourth quarter surge to pull away from Penn State in State College

It was a create your own energy game for the Hawkeyes in State College. Quick 70-hour turnaround from Sunday’s win over Purdue, a crowd of less than 3,500, facing a team you’ve beat ten times in a row and a big game against a top ten opponent on the horizon. The 23rd-ranked Hawkeyes (12-2, 2-1) went back-and-forth with Penn State (9-5, 0-3) for nearly 35 minutes, but used a 17-5 run down the stretch to secure an 80-68 victory over the upset-minded Lady Lions. Iowa has now won 11 in a row in the series dating back to 2018.

“We closed and that was the main thing. I was really disappointed with how we started, but it’s really difficult to win on the road,” said head coach Jan Jensen. “Every game is a dog fight. There’s plenty to critique, there’s a lot that I didn’t lie, but what I did like was the second quarter. We didn’t stay down, we clawed back, but then, when we needed to close, they closed. That’s the mark, potentially, of a really good team.”

The series between Iowa and Penn State, recently, had been dominated by the Hawkeyes, with seven wins in a row coming by double digits. Through the first few minutes of the game, it became apparent that securing a win against the Lady Lions was going to be a much more strenuous than past meetings.

“I don’t think they could have played any worse against Minnesota and you see the score and they got beat by 40,” said Jensen. “I was on my soapbox saying, guys, listen, they’re not that bad.”

In the early going, Penn State looked like a team that was determined to put their best foot forward against the visiting Hawkeyes. A 9-0 run capped by a transition three-pointer from Gabby Elliott gave the Lady Lions a 15-6 lead, marking the second-largest deficit Iowa had faced all season. Cold shooting from behind the arc (1/9) in the opening quarter contributed to the struggles and PSU took a 24-15 lead into the second quarter.

The Hawkeyes clawed their way back, with a 14-2 to run to begin the quarter and took a 29-26 lead, but were never able to build a sizeable advantage. Hannah Stuelke and Addi O’Grady were efficient in the opening half combining for 16 points on 7/9 shooting, while Taylor McCabe hit a couple of threes to open the lid from behind the arc. As poor as Iowa played at times in the first half, they took a 38-36 lead into the half.

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

All 5 @_taylormccabe 3-pointers ⤵️#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/EICsLjQwki

— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) January 1, 2025

Although they entered the game as 15.5-point favorites, Iowa was never able to play with a lead that comfortable. Instead, they found themselves in a game that went from an early deficit to a game with seesawing action. Back-to-back triples from Taylor McCabe gave the Hawkeyes a 50-43 advantage, but Gabby Elliott, who has dealt with injuries throughout her collegiate career, was on point for the Lady Lions. She finished with a career-high 32 points, including seven points in the span of two minutes to lead PSU on a 12-2 run. Her three-pointer with under a minute to go in the third quarter gave her team a 55-54 lead.

Although Iowa led for the majority of the second half, not much about their lead offered reassurance until they put together a fourth quarter surge that the Lady Lions couldn’t overcome. Early in the fourth, the Gabby Elliott show continued, as she answered a pair of Iowa made threes, while two triples of her own to keep PSU within 63-61, but finally, the Hawkeyes were able to stabilize the game and assert themselves as the more dominant side.

Five different players got a bucket over a three-minute stretch and an 11-2 run by Iowa gave them a 74-63 lead with just 3:31 to play. As turbulent as the game was for the Hawkeyes, they were able to break through and ensure that the final minutes could be as stress-free as possible. Penn State was unable to find a final push and Jan Jensen’s squad was able to escape with an 80-68 win.

Taylor McCabe led the way for the Hawkeyes with 17 points, including five made triples, while Lucy Olsen and Syd Affolter added to the backcourt production, combining for 18 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists. The even contributions spread into the Iowa frontcourt, with Hannah Stuelke recording a double-double 13 points ten rebounds, plus an 8/8 shooting night from Addi O’Grady.

On the night, Iowa shot 32/61 (52.5%) from the floor and 7/21 (33.3%) from three-point range. They were able to limit themselves to just 12 turnovers, winning the points off turnovers battle 23-6. The Hawkeyes were outrebounded 35-33, marking just the second time this season they’ve lost the battle on the glass.

Up Next: The Hawkeyes return to Iowa City for a matchup against the 8th-ranked Maryland Terrapins on Sunday. Tipoff is set for 5:00pm CT on Big Ten Network.