Three Last Minute Iowa vs. Penn State Predictions

Conference play is set to resume for the No. 14 Iowa Hawkeyes as they host Penn State. The Nittany Lions sit at 7-5 (0-1), so it's not surprising to see them unranked.

Iowa's next opponent, Nebraska, is currently ranked No. 20. A win over the Nittany Lions sets up a huge Top 20 clash on New Year's Day, but head coach Jan Jensen knows she can't get too far ahead of herself.

Coincidentally, the Nittany Lions dropped their home opener to the Cornhuskers, 101-83.

This is not a Penn State team that prides themselves no their defense, and they're coming off a loss to 11-3 Richmond, 70-54, in the 4 Tha Culture Holiday Classic.

1. Iowa's Offense Puts On A Show

Back at it 😤 pic.twitter.com/wzHM8uqcCr
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) December 28, 2025

There are no guarantees the Hawkeyes are going to drop 100, but boy, would that be great to see. Coming off their abysmal 90-64 loss to No. 1 UConn, Jensen's squad has had just over a week to rest and regroup.

Other than allowing Nebraska to score 101, Penn State gave up 100 to Princeton and 95 to No. 3 South Carolina. There's no shame in their 40-point loss to the Gamecocks, but it still goes to show that their defense is sub-par, at best. Iowa needs to rebound after its loss to the Huskies, and this is the perfect game to get back on track.

2. Iowa Wins The Turnover Battle

When looking at the keys to victory, this game could truly come down to turnovers. No Iowa fan wants to remember the 26 times they turned the ball over against UConn. Again, that's the No. 1 team in the world, but that's still an excusable number.

For what it's worth, PSU turned the ball over 26 times against South Carolina. Somehow, both teams faced a Top 3 team and turned the ball over exactly 26 times. Both teams combined shouldn't hit that in this conference battle, but whoever wins the turnover battle will be in good shape to pull out the win.

Dec 20, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; UConn Huskies guard Kk Arnold (2) looks to pass the ball against Iowa Hawkeyes guard Taylor Stremlow (1), guard Journey Houston (8) and forward Hannah Stuelke (45) during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Pamela Smith-Imagn Images | Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

3. Iowa Is Lights Out From Three

Did you miss us?! 🙂‍↕️

🗓️ Sunday, Dec. 28
⌚ 3 PM (CT)
🆚 Penn State
📍 Carver-Hawkeye Arena@IowaWBB x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/dDWqM4QiT8
— The Iowa Hawkeyes (@TheIowaHawkeyes) December 27, 2025

ESPN highlighted guard Taylor McCabe in their game preview, and rightfully so. The senior was listed as a "Top Performer" due to her stellar 43.6% from 3-point range. She's averaging just under three made shots from beyond the arc per game, while the Nittany Lions have no one that comes close to Iowa's sharp shooter. As a team, PSU is shooting 5% worse from three, which could, and should be a huge factor in this game.

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