RIVIERA MAYA, Mexico – The nationally ranked University of Iowa women’s basketball team defeated BYU 68-48 on Friday night in the Cancun Challenge. The Hawkeyes improve to 8-0, the best start in program history since the 1993-94 season.
Junior Hannah Stuelke led the Hawkeyes tying her season-high with 16 points, downing two threes. Senior Addi O’Grady followed with 12 points, and freshman Aaliyah Guyton had a career-high 11 points.
Stuelke opened the game with a three-pointer to set the tone for the Hawkeyes. Midway through the first quarter, the Hawkeyes went on an 11-0 run taking a 16-10 lead by the end of the period. Iowa’s defense held the Cougars to just 16.7% shoot from the field, while Stuelke led the offensive charge with nine points in the quarter.
In a back-and-forth second quarter, the Hawkeyes built their lead to as much as eight points while dominating the boards with a 13-5 rebounding edge over BYU. A late layup by the Cougars trimmed the deficit to six, sending the teams into halftime with Iowa holding a 25-19 advantage.
The Hawkeyes came out in the third with a layup by O’Grady followed by a three from senior Kylie Feuerbach. Iowa’s offense downed four threes shooting 50% from the behind the arc to pull away with a 45-30 lead.
In the final quarter, O’Grady started with back-to-back layups, and Taylor McCabe and Freshman Teagan Mallegni were instrumental off the bench, each hitting crucial three-pointers. The Hawkeyes went 5-of-7 from beyond the arc in the final period, setting a new season-high for three-pointers.
POSTGAME NOTES
– Jan Jensen is the first coach in Iowa women’s basketball history to begin her tenure 8-0.
– The last time Iowa started 8-0 or better was in 1993-94 with C. Vivian Stringer.
– Iowa’s 8-0 start is the fourth best start in program history.
– This is Iowa’s fifth appearance in the Cancun Challenge. (2007, 2010, 2013, 2016)
– The Hawkeyes are 10-1 all-time in Cancun.
– Iowa picked up its first victory against BYU in program history.
– Sydney Affolter led the Hawkeyes with a season-high 10 rebounds, she has registered double figure rebounds on six occasions during her career.
– Affolter finished the game with seven points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and a career-high five steals.
– Affolter has recorded eight or more rebounds in three straight games.
– Hannah Stuelke registered her 44th career game in double figures which is fifth-most in program history since 2020.
– Stuelke netted a pair of three-point baskets which is a career-best.
– Stuelke has team-high 16 points (5-9 FG), and eight rebounds.
– Addi O’Grady recorded 10+ points for the seventh time this season.
– O’Grady scored 12 points and was six-of-eight from the field.
– O’Grady now has three games with three or more blocks.
– Aaliyah Guyton set a new career-best with 11 points going three-for-three from deep.
– The Hawkeye defense has surrendered single digits in a quarter on four occasions this season. (Kansas – 4, 1Q, Washington State – 4, 2Q, Washington State – 5, 3Q, BYU – 9, 2Q)
– Taylor Stremlow made her second career start for Iowa.
– Guyton has made at least two 3-pointers in both games she’s played in.
– Lucy Olsen did not play in Friday’s contest due to a lower leg laceration. She is day-to-day.
– The Hawkeyes have won 117 games since 2020-21 which ties for fourth-best nationally. (117-30)
– Iowa led for 35:34.
– The Hawkeyes have beaten seven out of its eight opponents by double digits this season.
– Iowa was 9-for-11 from the charity stripe.
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UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes will hit the road to play Tennessee in the Women’s Champions Classic on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m. (CT) inside the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York. The game is set to broadcast nationally on FOX and the Hawkeye Radio Network.