Three Takeaways from Iowa's Thrilling Win Over Michigan State

At Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the Iowa Hawkeyes outplayed Michigan State in every aspect of the game and got a fiercely contested 75-68 victory, thus keeping the Hawkeyes' unblemished Big Ten conference record alive at 7-0.

Backing up the win, Iowa showed great determination, moving its record to a remarkable 16-2 overall and establishing itself as a real contender in the conference tournament.

The Spartans, on the other hand, have fallen to 6-2 in the Big Ten, which is a serious blow to their tournament seeding ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌aspirations.

The‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ game was like a duel between material and performance where both teams were trading baskets in the first quarters until Iowa broke the game in a characteristically third quarter.

But Michigan State didn't give up and they even managed to get the difference down to five points with four minutes left in the game thus leading to a nail-biting last sequence where Iowa's composure was ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌tested.

Hannah Stuelke Delivers Senior Leadership When Iowa Needs It Most

Hannah‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ Stuelke demonstrated why she is still the heart and soul of the Hawkeyes' offense both emotionally and statistically by scoring 22 points, grabbing nine rebounds, dishing out five assists, and stealing three shots in a game that clearly showed how Iowa won.

Her performance was not just about putting the ball in the basket as she even led the offense by setting up different plays, coming back on defense at the right time, and taking the pressure off the other shooters by doing the ball-handling ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌duties.

Ava Heiden's Sophomore Surge Sparks Third-Quarter Breakaway

Iowa center Ava Heiden (5) talks to Iowa head coach Jan Jensen as she comes off the court during a game against the Oregon Ducks Jan. 15, 2026 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ava‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ Heiden became Iowa's main drive in the crucial third quarter, scoring nine points and leading a 6-0 run that was the turning point of the game in Iowa's 17-point lead.

Heiden's 20-point performance on very efficient shooting was the offensive bomb that exploded Michigan State's defense.

The four-star recruit's defensive range, of course, her talent to guard different positions, made Michigan State go for mismatches, and hence, the Spartans couldn't set their offensive game well. ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌

Turnover Margin and Defensive Chaos Define Iowa's Grinding Victory

Iowa's‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ intense pressure defense throughout the game led to Michigan State's total suffocation in the opening minutes. The Spartans, in fact, gave the ball away four times in a row during the first quarter.

Though Michigan State eventually got their defense together, it was still Iowa's ability to often get the ball from the opponent and not give it away themselves that made the difference in a game in which both teams had poor shooting performances.

Taylor McCabe was stealing the ball several times, and Hannah Stuelke was making defensive turnovers by changing the players perfectly, which reflected Iowa’s very aggressive transition ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌defense.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!