Inside The Hawkeyes

Iowa's Ava Heiden Sets Career-High in Win Over Fairfield

It was a career night for Ava Heiden as the Iowa Hawkeyes improved to 8-0.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Iowa forward Hannah Stuelke (45), Iowa guard Taylor McCabe (2), Iowa guard Taylor Stremlow (1) and Iowa center Ava Heiden (5) react Nov. 26, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
Iowa forward Hannah Stuelke (45), Iowa guard Taylor McCabe (2), Iowa guard Taylor Stremlow (1) and Iowa center Ava Heiden (5) react Nov. 26, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

The Iowa Hawkeyes have one player in particular to thank after advancing to a perfect 8-0.

While four Hawkeyes ended the game in double digits, sophomore Ava Heiden had a double-double she won't soon forget. Heiden led the way with 18 points and a career-high 16 rebounds as Iowa defeated Fairfield, 86-72.

It marked the second straight game the Hawkeyes scored 86 points, as the majority of their non-conference games have been completed. They still have a few more on the horizon, but up next is Rutgers, their first conference showdown. With that game being on Dec. 6, the Hawkeyes will take their week off to prepare.

Ava Heiden Continues To Dominate

At 6-foot-4, one of the main things that stood out about Heiden heading into this Fairfield match was her height advantage. The Stags are far from the tallest team in the nation, and they ended up being out-rebounded, 44-26. That's a huge difference between the two teams, especially knowing that Heiden had 16 boards herself.

Heiden finished 6-for-11 from the field as she drilled six of her eight free throws. Free throw shooting was another big key coming into this game, but the Hawkeyes knocked down 18 of their 26 attempts. Fairfield attempted just five free throws.

Chit-Chat Wright was questionable heading into this game, but head coach Jan Jensen once again opted to rest her. While Heiden's style is far different than Wright's, the Hawkeyes are sure glad Heiden is on their team. She began to find herself last year with crucial minutes as a freshman, and it's abundantly clear how much that prepared her for this season.

Four Scorers In Double Digits

The No. 11 team in the nation continues to score at a prolific rate, and they're doing it without their top point guard. Heiden was second on the team with 34 minutes, but plenty of Hawkeyes were able to make a difference, no matter how long Jensen had them on the court.

Heiden's 18 points led the way, but senior Kylie Feuerbach tied her career high from her Iowa State days on Dec.18, 2020. Feuerbach finished with 17 points, 12 of which came from 3-pointers.

Both Taylor McCabe and Hannah Stuelke added 13 points as Addie Deal was one point shy of scoring double digits off the bench. Taylor Stremlow was a point shy as well, but she was tremendous once again with seven points and seven assists. Not only that, but Stremlow had Caitlin Clark on her side after her viral technical foul.

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

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