No. 10 Iowa rolled past Eastern Illinois 80-39 on Thursday night, with freshman McKenna Woliczko absolutely exploding for 22 points. But even with the lopsided win and a 2-0 record, the Hawkeyes’ three-point shooting continues to be a massive head-scratcher early in the season.
Woliczko’s Dominance and the Defensive Clampdown
Woliczko, a freshman hailing from San Bruno, Calif., was unreal, hitting 9 of 12 shots from the field, including a red-hot 4 of 6 from downtown. When the rest of the team struggled from long range, Woliczko was lights out. Ava Heiden also came up big with 15 points and grabbed 8 boards, while Dani Carnegie chipped in 12 points and snagged 7 rebounds herself.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing right away, though. For the second game in a row, Iowa had a sluggish start. But man, did that defense come alive in the second quarter. They completely shut down Eastern Illinois, outscoring them 27-8 in that quarter alone, going into halftime with a commanding 44-18 lead. Eastern Illinois could barely get a shot off, attempting only five field goals in the second quarter and coughing up the ball 10 times. Overall, Iowa’s D was stifling, holding the Panthers to a paltry 32% from the field and just 22% from deep, forcing a total of 27 turnovers. Plus, they dominated the glass, out-rebounding EIU 44-25.
The Deep Shot Dilemma That Needs Fixing
Here’s the kicker, though: the perimeter shooting. It’s a real problem right now. Iowa connected on just 9 of 28 three-point attempts, and get this, they missed 11 of their first 12 in this game. That’s rough. This isn’t a one-off, either. They shot a dismal 8 of 29 from beyond the arc in their 73-45 win over Towson on Monday. You’ve got to wonder what’s going on with those long-range shots.
For Eastern Illinois, Ava Stoller led the charge with 10 points, and Clara Glad added nine. They’re definitely in a tough stretch, already playing their second game of a three-game opening-week run in Iowa, having lost to Drake on Tuesday.
What’s Next on the Schedule
Iowa is now 2-0, but they’re about to face a massive test. They head to No. 2 UConn on Sunday. That’s where we’ll really see what this team is made of, especially if they can’t figure out their outside shooting. Eastern Illinois, still looking for their first win at 0-2, will visit Iowa State on Sunday.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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