Feb. 4, 2016
By DARREN MILLER
hawkeyesports.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Whitney Jennings, an Indiana native turned University of Iowa guard, scored a career-high 22 points Thursday, but the Hawkeyes dropped a 79-74 decision to Indiana in front of 2,421 inside Assembly Hall.
It is the first loss for Iowa in its last three games. The Hawkeyes are 15-8 overall, 5-6 in the Big Ten Conference; Indiana improves to 14-9, 6-5.
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Iowa led by 17 points (54-37) with 3:38 left in the third quarter.
“They got high percentage shots and they got to the free throw line,” UI head coach Lisa Bluder said of the Hoosiers.
That was especially true for Indiana in the fourth quarter when it made 10-of-12 from the field, 4-of-4 from 3-point range, and 8-of-11 from the free throw line.
The Hawkeyes shot better than 48 percent from the field for the game (29-of-60) and were a blistering 59 percent in the second quarter (10-of-17). Iowa was shooting 53 percent from the field entering the final 10 minutes.
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Jennings, the 2014 Miss Basketball in the state of Indiana, made 9-of-17 field goals, 3-of-7 from 3-point range with two assists and two blocked shots. For the third game in a row, freshman Megan Gustafson posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. She was 6-of-10 from the field.
“(Jennings) did a good job, she had a great game going,” Bluder said.
Junior Ally Disterhoft scored at least 20 points for the sixth time this season by making 7-of-12 from the field. She had five rebounds, two blocks, and two steals. Sophomore Chase Coley added eight points, six rebounds, and two assists. Freshman Tania Davis led Iowa with four assists.
While senior Kali Peschel was 2-for-2 from the line, the rest of the Hawkeyes combined to make just 10-of-19.
“If we would have made our free throws, we would have won this game,” Bluder said.
Indiana’s Amanda Cahill led all players with 24 points. Her teammate, Tyra Buss, scored 18 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Iowa will look for its third win in the last four games Sunday against Michigan State inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tip is set for 2 p.m. (CT).
“We have to shake this one off and come back and get ready for Michigan State,” Bluder said. “Michigan State is a great team, but we have them at home. We played them so well for three quarters at their place.”
The Spartans are 17-4 overall, 8-2 in the Big Ten. They played at Maryland on Feb. 5. In the first meeting in East Lansing, Michigan on Jan. 16, Michigan State defeated Iowa, 80-73.
