Hot shooting Hawkeyes torch Wisconsin at the Big Ten Tournament

Big picture, it’s going to be a tall task for the three-time reigning Big Ten Tournament champion Iowa Hawkeyes to pull off a five games in five days run to defend their title. However, every run starts with a first step, and Jan Jensen’s squad was locked in from the start, torching the nets en route to an 81-54 win over Wisconsin to kick off their stay at the Big Ten Tournament. The Hawkeyes have now defeated the Badgers in 31 consecutive games, a streak dating back to 2007.

“It was a really nice opening round victory for us,” said head coach Jan Jensen. “When you’re in a situation where you hopefully have the opportunity to play five games in five days, that’s what you’re hoping for. Even though that would be really difficult, it’s what we want to do.”

Just days ago, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the Badgers led after the opening quarter and went into the locker room tied at halftime. A unique situation, facing Wisconsin for the second time in the span of four days, the Hawkeyes showed pretty quickly on Wednesday that they were set on having a stronger first half showing this time around.

“I just thought we started the game really, really sharp,” said Jensen.

The Badgers jumped out to a 9-6 advantage over the first few minutes of the game, but their lead was short-lived and countered with a flurry of made baskets from Iowa. The Hawkeyes ended the opening quarter with a 19-0 run spearheaded by five made three-pointers from five different players. That initial lead for Wisconsin was quickly wiped away, with Iowa leading 25-9 after ten minutes.

“I thought we started this game with a lot more intensity than the first time we played them,” said Syd Affolter. “We adjusted a few things from our scout, but ultimately just coming out with confidence knowing that we are one of the top teams here and we want to be here for as long as possible and to make our mark known on the first day.”

With the hope of several more games to come this week at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the last thing Jan Jensen wanted was a stressful game to drain the battery of a team that will have little time to recover before the next test arrives. She got all she could have asked for and more. Lucy Olsen clicking in the first half, putting up 14 points, including a pair of made triples, while Syd Affolter added nine points and six rebounds. Those two, amongst many other contributors, helped the Hawkeyes out to a 43-23 halftime lead.

“I just don’t want to lose,” said Lucy Olsen. “I want to keep playing. This team is so good and so special that I’m just trying to do whatever I can to let us keep playing some more basketball.”

A quick 8-3 run in third quarter fueled by six points from Hannah Stuelke quickly extended the Hawkeyes lead to 51-28 and with the game, seemingly, well in hand, Jan Jensen turned to her freshman class to lead the charge. At one point, five freshman were on the floor during the third quarter. Not only were those minutes important to give the starters some rest, but it also gave some of the younger players on the roster a chance to earn experience on the biggest stage they’ve seen.

“It was a nice way to start out that we could play limited minutes and get everybody in. That’s always fun for the kids who work so hard that don’t get in,” said Jensen. “I hope they enjoyed that and got a taste of it.

In the end, it was a business-like win for a team that is playing nothing like the 11 seed that defines where they start in this tournament. The 81-54 decisive victory extends the Hawkeyes winning streak to 31 against Wisconsin and gives them a shot at Michigan State, a team they lost to back on December 15th in East Lansing.

“I’d love it to be another one tomorrow night, but I’m sure glad they got this one tonight,”

On the night, Iowa shot 35 of 61 (57.4%) from the floor and 11 of 20 (55.0%) from three-point range. Lucy Olsen led the way with 19 points, but she was the only Hawkeye to score in double figures. Syd Affolter chipped in nine points and seven rebounds, while Kylie Feuerbach added nine points and six assists. Taylor McCabe and Aaliyah Guyton combined for five made threes. Iowa outrebounded the Badgers 41-19, pulling down 30 of 35 (85.7%) defensive rebounds and 11 of 25 (44.0%) offensive rebounds.

Up Next: The Hawkeyes will face the Michigan State Spartans on Thursday night, with a spot in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals on the line. Tipoff is set for ~8:00pm CT on the Big Ten Network.