No. 23 Hawkeyes Pull Away from Penn State

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The nationally-ranked University of Iowa women’s basketball team defeated Penn State, 80-68, on Sunday afternoon inside the Bryce Jordan Center. The Hawkeyes improved their record to 12-2.

Junior Taylor McCabe led the team with 17 points, hitting five three-pointers. Senior Addi O’Grady scored 16 points on a perfect 8-8 shooting and grabbed four rebounds. Hannah Stuelke secured a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and senior Lucy Olsen added 11 points.

The Nittany Lions came out on top early, going on a 9-0 run in the midst of the first quarter. Penn State led by 10 points until McCabe knocked down a three to bring the Nittany Lions' lead back to single digits. The quarter ended, 24-15 in Penn State’s favor.

The Hawkeyes began the second quarter with seven straight points, narrowing the game to within one possession. Stuelke’s layup with 6:34 left in the second tied the game, and Lucy Olsen's free throw gave Iowa their first lead since the opening basket. Iowa maintained their lead heading into halftime up 38-36.

The third quarter was a back-and-forth battle with the game staying within one possession for the first five minutes. McCabe hit back-to-back threes to give the Hawkeyes their largest lead of the day at seven points. The Nittany Lions, led by Gabby Elliott's 10 points and pair of threes, fought back to tie the game at 55 by the end of the quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Hawkeyes dominated outscoring the Nittany Lions, 25-13 and going on a 9-0 run. Affolter scored five points, Olsen added six, and Teagan Mallegni contributed five, securing Iowa's victory over Penn State. There were six lead changes and nine ties in the conference's matchup against the Nittany Lions.

POSTGAME NOTES
- Taylor McCabe led Iowa in scoring making five 3-pointers which tied a career-high against a Big Ten opponent. (Minnesota, Feb. 28, 2024.)
- McCabe has a total of nine 3-pointers in back-to-back games against Penn State.  
- Hannah Stuelke registered her sixth career double-double and second of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds.  
- Stuelke led Iowa with 10 rebounds, she has recorded a team-high eight or more rebounds seven times this season.
- Addi O’Grady went 8-of-8 from the floor netting 16 points and four rebounds.
- Lucy Olsen has reached double figures in 11 career games as a Hawkeye.
- Sydney Affolter led Iowa with six assists, she has dished five or more assists this season three times.
- Taylor Stremlow tied her career-high with five assists.
- The Hawkeyes dished a season-high 24 assists against a Big Ten team.
- Iowa improved to 57-19 in Big Ten play over the last four seasons.
- The Hawkeyes have won 11 straight against Penn State.
- With the win, Iowa now leads the all-time series, 30-29.
- Iowa has won five straight contests against PSU in Happy Valley.
- The Hawkeyes are 2-1 all-time in games played on New Years’ Day.
- For the first time this season, Iowa has recorded back-to-back-to-back outings of 20+ assists.
- Iowa is 4-0 this season when registering 20+ assists.
- O’Grady has been in double figures in 11 games after having just two total games scoring in double figures over her previous two seasons.
- UI is 75-24 when recording 20+ assists in a single game since the beginning of the 2020-21 season.
- Since the start of the 2020-21 season, Iowa leads the nation with 112 games of 80+ points.
- Iowa has won 98 games when scoring 80+ points since 2020.

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UP NEXT
The nationally ranked Hawkeyes will return home to host Maryland on Sunday, Jan. 5. Tip-off inside a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena is set for 5 p.m. (CT) and will air on BTN and the Hawkeye Radio Network. Prior to the game, Lisa Bluder’s historic coaching career will be celebrated.