Inside The Hawkeyes

Iowa Takes Down No. 7 Baylor in Thriller

The WBCA Showcase's Top 20 showdown did not disappoint, as the Iowa Hawkeyes defeated No. 7 Baylor.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Iowa center Ava Heiden (5), Iowa forward Jada Gyamfi (23), Iowa guard Teagan Mallegni (55), and Iowa guard Kennise Johnson (13) react during a game against the Drake Bulldogs Nov. 13, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
Iowa center Ava Heiden (5), Iowa forward Jada Gyamfi (23), Iowa guard Teagan Mallegni (55), and Iowa guard Kennise Johnson (13) react during a game against the Drake Bulldogs Nov. 13, 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

It may not have been the prettiest game in the world, but the Iowa Hawkeyes managed to pull off a massive upset over No. 7 Baylor, 57-52. Iowa came into this game ranked No. 19, and as long as they take care of business on November 22 against Miami, they'll see a huge increase in their ranking after the weekend.

In the end, Iowa took advantage of the Bears' ice-cold stretch in the final six minutes. Baylor wasn't able to do anything offensively, and in the end that proved to be the death of them. Iowa only needed 57 to get the job done, but a win is a win.

Three Players In Double Digits

One of the biggest stories of the game was Hannah Stuelke not starting in the second half. She missed the final few minutes of the second quarter as she limped off the field and was checked out by the trainer. Stuelke turned out to be just fine, and in the end she was one of, if not the main reason Iowa prevailed.

Stuelke finished the game with 10 points. She was one of three players in double digits for the Hawkeyes, joined alongside Taylor Stremlow (12) and leading scorer Ava Heiden (18). Iowa knew they needed someone else to step up as Chit-Chat Wright went down with a scary injury very early into the third quarter. She wasn't seen for the rest of the game.

Iowa's Defense Showed Up

At times the referees were calling everything but other times they shoved the whistles down their throats. Baylor's defense proved to be one of, if not the toughest Iowa will face this season. They were as physical as you can get, but that didn't stop Iowa. Head coach Jan Jensen made sure her team competed until the very end, even though Baylor finished with 11 blocks.

Once Iowa got the pump fake going, they ended up being just fine. Baylor's defense proved to not be as effective as Iowa's as the Hawkeyes held the Bears scoreless for the final 6:20. Had someone predicted that coming into the game, they would've been looked at like they were crazy. Baylor missed their last 10 shots.

Without Taliah Scott, this wouldn't have been nearly as close of a game. Iowa did everything in their power to stop the sophomore who just so happens to be a Florida native. The Hawkeyes faithful showed up in Orlando, providing a unique and much-needed atmosphere as this was Iowa's first game away from home.

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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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