Inside The Hawkeyes

Iowa's Late Comeback Stalls in Loss to Iowa State

The Iowa Hawkeyes are undefeated no longer as Iowa State won the Cy-Hawk rivalry.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Iowa Hawkeyes women' basketball head coach Jan Jensen reacts during the second quarter against Iowa State in the NCAA women’s basketball Cy-Hawk Series on Dec. 10, 2025, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.
Iowa Hawkeyes women' basketball head coach Jan Jensen reacts during the second quarter against Iowa State in the NCAA women’s basketball Cy-Hawk Series on Dec. 10, 2025, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

Going to Ames was no easy feat, and in the end the Iowa Hawkeyes suffered their first loss of the season. There's no doubt they'll still see a number attached to their name come next week, but in the end Iowa State prevailed, 74-69.

Iowa falls to 9-1 as the Cyclones improve to 11-0. To no surprise, Audi Crooks took over. The Hawkeyes went on a late run in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late as their perfect start to the season came to an end.

Audi Crooks Proved Her Dominance

The highly anticipated Ava Heiden vs. Audi Crooks matchup lived up to the hype. Sadly for the Hawkeyes, not even Heiden could match up with one of, if not the most dominant player in the nation. Crooks finished with 30 points as she's had 30+ in her last three games.

Heiden got into foul trouble early which didn't bode well for the Hawkeyes. Head coach Jan Jensen had no choice but to sit her way more than she would've liked. In the end, Heiden played just 16 minutes which is nowhere near what the sophomore had been averaging (24.3).

Career Night For Chit-Chat Wright

Thankfully for Iowa, Wright needed little to no time returning to form. The transfer put up a career high 21 points as she shot 7-14, including 4-9 from three ponit range. She added three assists and two steals in what proved to be Iowa's most efficient player, by far.

Heiden was held to just eight points as she statistically had her worst game of the year. A trio of Hawkeyes finished in double digits: Hannah Stuelke, Taylor McCabe, and Kylie Feuerbach.

Stuelke was dominant on the boards, grabbing 15 of the Hawkeyes 32 rebounds. She was the lone Iowa player to record a double-double while two Cyclones were able to do so.

Failed Comeback Attempt

With a minute left in the game, Iowa was right back where they needed to be. They were within one score, but two offensive attempts weren't enough to get points on the board. It was clear Jensen was trying to set up a play for McCabe, but the senior forced a shot that didn't lead to a foul. From there, the rest was history.

In the end, their five point loss could've been far worse. The game was tied at halftime, but Iowa State led by 17 points with just 43 seconds left in the third quarter. Jensen and this team suffered defeat, but did everything in their power to attempt a late comeback.

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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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