Iowa Keeping Pace with Baylor in Low-Scoring Affair

After 20 minutes, the Iowa Hawkeyes find themselves with a minimal deficit. They jumped out to a 7-0 run and didn't allow Baylor to lead until there was just 4:57 remaining in the second quarter, but a strong 11-0 run from the Bears helped guide them to a 28-25 lead at halftime.

Iowa's strong start didn't translate to the second quarter as the No. 7 ranked team began to put everything together. The one thing the Hawkeyes didn't want to do was let Taliah Scott going, but she did just that in the second quarter. Regardless, Iowa is still very much in this game.

Turnovers Galore

Physical, low-scoring game heading into the second media timeout. 7:22 remaining, Iowa holds a four point lead over Baylor, 16-12. At this point, the team who turns the ball over the least is going to win the game. Sounds simple, but far from it here in Orlando.
— Jordon Lawrenz (@JordonLaw_PxP) November 21, 2025

One of the main takeaways from the first half was how much these two teams turned the ball over. It isn't the prettiest game in the world, but it goes to show just how physical these two teams are playing. The referees have swallowed their whistles and are letting them play, exactly what you'd want out of a Top 20 matchup.

The WBCA Showcase kicked off with Miami taking town Davidson in a game that featured plenty of scoring. This one is the opposite, and these two teams combining for 15 turnovers certainly doesn't help. Baylor has turned the ball over eight times to Iowa's seven, but that doesn't excuse how each team has continually cut their possessions short.

Block Party

Stop me if you've heard this before, but Baylor adds yet another block to the stat sheet. That's nine for the Bears against Iowa
— Jordon Lawrenz (@JordonLaw_PxP) November 21, 2025

If there's one thing Iowa needs to work on in the second half, it's one of basketball's most fundamental aspects, the pump fake. Baylor has blocked Iowa nine times in the first half while the Hawkeyes have yet to block one of the Bears shots. Iowa is releasing the ball far too low, and everytime they go into the paint their shots are blocked. It's a relatively simple fix, but something that has stood out in the first 20 minutes.

Iowa Looks For More Consistency

Back to back airballs for Iowa who has failed to get anything going on offense this quarter. They've missed their last eight shots
— Jordon Lawrenz (@JordonLaw_PxP) November 21, 2025

One of the biggest keys for Iowa in this game was going to be how they shot the ball. If they limited Baylor's possessions and shot more efficiently, it was nearly a lock that the No. 19 team would upset the No. 7 team. In the first half, that proved not to be the case.

Iowa has shot just 26.5% from the field compared to Baylor's 40.7%. Even though a player like Taliah Scott started just 1-5 from three point range, Baylor was able to put together a quality second quarter as they outscored the Hawkeyes by five points. A last-second bucket as time expired put them up by three as Iowa will certainly use this halftime break to regroup. They're far from out of it, but have plenty to adjust in this low-scoring affair.

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