One Major Stat Held Iowa Back vs. Iowa State

In the infancy of the Jan Jensen era in Iowa City, the Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball program hasn't taken long to skyrocket back into relevancy following their change at the head coaching position. Entering the 2025-26 iteration of the Cy-Hawk rivalry game, Iowa sat undefeated (at 9-0) and just outside the AP Poll Top 10, at No. 11.

Facing the equally undefeated Cyclones (ranked No. 10), the in-state brawl promised shockwaves beyond the matchup and into either team's respective seasons. Despite being on the road and unfavored, Iowa entered with a relative confidence given their scorching start to the season. Yet, after a valiant comeback effort due to getting behind the ball early, the Hawkeyes fell short for the first time this season.

Where to Point Fingers

After closing a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to a razor-thin degree, Iowa ultimately lost by just five points, 74-69. It's easy to feel as if the sky is falling after any loss, though one to a rival purports an entirely different kind of pain for fans that have only been given reasons to fly this year thus far. But in this game specifically, one unbalanced statistic may be to blame for the black and gold's ultimate shortcoming.

When push came to shove (literally, at times), Iowa simply could not stop Iowa State from scoring in the paint.

Final Score:

Iowa State 74, Iowa 69
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) December 11, 2025

Domination Down Low

Of the Cyclones' 74 total points, a blistering 42 of them came in the painted area. That number alone is staggering enough, but when compared to Iowa's own total around the basket, the game's clear discrepancy becomes all the more clear.

The Hawkeyes only managed 28 of their own points down low, coming up short of the Cyclones' total and, further, allowing Iowa State to control both the pace and script of the game. Iowa brought things close by the end, but so long as Iowa State was allowed to control the paint, the Hawkeyes stood a terribly thin chance.

Iowa State Cyclones' center Audi Crooks (55) shoots the ball over around Iowa Hawkeyes forward Hannah Stuelke (45) during the third quarter 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

With Cyclones center Audi Crooks - a national phenom for a reason - scoring 30 points by herself and adding 10 rebounds to boot, Iowa State's overall push for paint excellency proved too much for a still-rising Iowa team.

With just one pitstop at home before hitting the road once more to take on the No. 1 UConn Huskies, Jensen and her Hawkeyes have little time to recoup before another extreme ranked challenge meets them face-to-face.

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