Big Fourth Quarter Leads Hawkeyes over Wolverines 

By Nick Jenkinson/Excel H Sports

   The #2 Seed Iowa Hawkeyes beat #3 Michigan Wolverines 59-42 in the Second Semifinal of the Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament Saturday Afternoon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Iowa 26-5 will face top seed UCLA tomorrow in the Championship Game at 2:15 PM ON CBS. Michigan 25-6 will return to Ann Arbor to get ready for the NCAA Tournament as the Wolverines will learn their opponent when the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Field of 68 is revealed on ESPN a week from Sunday at 8 PM.

   Iowa is in the Championship Game for the 9th time as the Hawkeyes have won 5 Big Ten Championships in 1997, 2001 and three in a row from 2002-24 and lost in the championship game three times in 2010, 2014 and 2021. The Hawkeyes put four in double figures with 16 points from Ava Heiden including 6 of the Hawkeyes first 9 points as Iowa led 9-0 to start the game and 13-4 at the end of the first quarter. Hannah Stuelke scored 13 points and 10 rebounds for her ninth double double of the season. Chit-Chat Wright scored 13 points, and Taylor Stremlow added 11 points.

   The Hawkeyes had 41 rebounds, 18 assists, 6 steals, 4 blocks and 20 turnovers. Iowa scored 24 points in the paint, 15 points off turnovers, 8 second chance points, 6 bench points and 3 fastbreak points. There were 4 lead changes and 1 tie as Iowa made their last three field goals in the game.

   Olivia Olson and Mila Holloway led Michigan with 10 points apiece. Syla Swords scored 9 points and got the Wolverines off to a good start in the second quarter hitting back-to-back triples and then hit her last three pointer in the third quarter. Michigan was 16-59 from the field for 27%, 4-21 from three-point range for 19%, and 6-11 from the free throw line for 54%. Michigan had 32 rebounds, 7 assists, 11 steals, 3 blocks and 17 turnovers. Michigan scored 16 points in the paint, 16 points off turnovers, 10 second chance points, 8 fastbreak points and 6 bench points.

   Michigan outscored Iowa 18-15 in the second quarter as the Hawkeyes lead at halftime 28-22 as the Wolverines fought back in the second quarter despite the slow start. The third quarter became a defensive battle as neither team could score for over four minutes as Michigan outscored Iowa 14-7 in third quarter as Michigan took the lead 36-35 on a Mila Holloway bucket with 37 seconds left in the quarter heading into the fourth quarter.

   Iowa took over the fourth quarter as Hannah Stukele scored the first seven points off the quarter for the Hawkeyes used a 24-6 run in the fourth quarter to pull away and get ready for a battle of the top two seeds in the Big Ten for the Championship Game as UCLA beat Iowa in the Regular Season Matchup on February 1, 88-65 in Los Angeles. Michigan missed their last four field goals and did not score a field goal for the last 4:16.

  Michigan has never made the Big Ten Tournament Championship game and Michigan Head Coach Kim Barnes Arico said after the game that Iowa is always a tough matchup for them and she is excited to face a team that “Has not played Michigan” and this tournament prepares her team and all teams for March Madness and the both the Hawkeyes and Wolverines have good teams that can make a lot of noise in the NCAA Tournament.