Iowa women’s basketball blows late lead, falls in Oregon thriller

EUGENE, Ore. − Minus one of its best players in Hannah Stuelke, Iowa women’s basketball was going to require a team-wide effort in the Pacific Northwest to collect its first victory since New Year’s Day.

But the Hawkeyes were confronted with a familiar obstacle – end-game struggles – and ultimately blew an 11-point second-half lead for the second straight game in a 50-49 loss to Oregon at Matthew Knight Arena.

The Hawkeyes went more than nine minutes without a point during a second-half drought, allowing the host Ducks to rally from the 39-28 deficit they faced with 4½ minutes left in the third quarter.

More: Jan Jensen provides postgame update on Hannah Stuelke’s concussion

Iowa dropped its fifth straight game, falling to 12-7 overall and 2-6 in Big Ten Conference play. Oregon improved to 14-5, 5-3.

Despite a second-half collapse, Iowa had a chance.

Sydney Affolter’s left-handed drive with 42 seconds left cut Iowa’s deficit to one point, 50-49. Addison O’Grady’s tough defense forced a miss by 6-foot-8 center Phillipina Kyei, and Aaliyah Guyton rebounded with 9.5 seconds left to give Iowa a chance for the win.

On the other end, O’Grady got a clean look at a jumper from the free-throw line, but it bounced off the rim and Oregon rebounded with 2 seconds left.

“Addi was going to set a down-screen for me, and I was driving to the basket,” Affolter said. “And obviously, Addi’s (defender) helped on me. It was a great look. It doesn’t come down to one play. Addi got a great shot off, just like we did last game.”

Head coach Jan Jensen drew up the final play. O’Grady just couldn’t connect on a shot she had made several times earlier in the game. Similarly, Iowa had a shot to beat Nebraska last Thursday in regulation, but Aaliyah Guyton’s layup at the buzzer curled off the rim.

“I figured she’s pretty good at that elbow shot, if Syd wasn’t able to hit it (on the drive),” Jensen said. “Much like the end of the Nebraska game, if Aaliyah hits the shot, it’s a whole different story.”

Iowa was using its fourth starting lineup in its last four games, with Stuelke’s absence due to a concussion pushing O’Grady back into the first five, along with Lucy Olsen, Taylor McCabe, Kylie Feuerbach and Affolter. That lack of continuity has been a piece of the Hawkeyes’ recent struggles, emblematic of the answers they’ve been seeking.

Yet the Hawkeyes’ start was exactly what Jensen and staff would’ve drawn up, especially defensively. Iowa held Oregon without a point over the first seven minutes, using that strong defense to take an 11-0 lead. The Ducks failed to score or get an offensive rebound on their first 11 possessions – 0-for-7 shooting, four turnovers.

“In the first half, we saw glimpses of how our team is coming together, being more connected, sharing the ball more and getting great shots,” freshman Ava Heiden said.

Oregon finally cracked the scoreboard on a 3-pointer with 2:55 left in the first quarter. Feuerbach answered on the other end with a 3 of her own to restore a 14-3 Iowa lead.

Sydney Affolter, post-Oregon: ‘We’ve got to let go of that pressure’

The senior forward speaks with the Des Moines Register’s Chad Leistikow after a 50-49 loss to Oregon. Affolter had a career-high 15 rebounds.

While the Ducks scuffled, Iowa got off to a hot start with its shots, canning 11 of its first 16 attempts that forced Oregon coach Kelly Graves to burn two timeouts in the process. Iowa owned a 27-12 lead after Olsen’s fast-break mid-range jumper with 7:39 left in the second quarter. Iowa led, 32-22, at halftime.

The Hawkeyes’ biggest problem amid the four-game losing streak was their ability to finish games. They squandered an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter against Nebraska on Thursday amid a combination of red-hot Huskers shooting (10-for-10 field goals down the stretch) and cold free-throw shooting by Iowa (5-for-12 in the fourth quarter), then lost in overtime.

A stagnant third quarter Sunday from the Hawkeyes set the stage for a harrowing fourth on Sunday. Iowa scored just nine points and committed eight turnovers in the third quarter, allowing Oregon to close to within 41-35.

Iowa went 9:09 between points in the middle of the third quarter until the middle of the fourth. Elisa Mevius’ 3-pointer with 5:59 gave Oregon its first lead, at 44-41, sending a Matthew Knight Arena crowd of 7,307 that began in silence into a boisterous roar.

Behind a late charge from Affolter (10 points, career-high 15 rebounds), the Hawkeyes nearly pulled off the last-second win. But Oregon dribbled out the clock as Iowa tried to foul to extend the Hawkeyes’ pain.

They opened the game 11-for-16 from the floor (68.8%); it went 8-for-35 (22.9%) the rest of the way.

Iowa next travels to Washington on Wednesday for an 8 p.m. CT tip-off; Stuelke, who did not travel, is not expected to play.

The Hawkeyes are desperate for a win. They haven’t prevailed since an 80-68 win at Penn State on Jan. 1.

“It’s been a tough stretch. We’re literally right there,” Affolter said. “That’s the frustrating part. We can’t lean into the outside noise.”

Ava Heiden discusses her return to Oregon, Iowa’s latest close loss

The Iowa freshman scored eight points with five rebounds in 17 minutes in a 50-49 loss to Oregon. She is from Sherwood, Oregon.

Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow has served for 30 years with The Des Moines Register and USA TODAY Sports Network. Chad is the 2023 INA Iowa Sports Columnist of the Year and NSMA Co-Sportswriter of the Year in Iowa. Join Chad’s text-message group (free for subscribers) at HawkCentral.com/HawkeyesTexts. Follow @ChadLeistikow on X.