No. 10 Iowa kicked off their season opener by beating Towson 73-45 on Monday night, but the real story is how they did it. Star center Ava Heiden, who was a first-team All-Big Ten and AP honorable mention All-American last season, was held to just seven points. Let that sink in. Their lead scorer from last year, who averaged 18 points a game, was pretty much shut down by Towson’s focused defense, hitting just 3 of 4 from the field and grabbing seven boards. Yet, the Hawkeyes still rolled, and that tells you everything about this new squad.
Carnegie Steps Up Big, Hawkeyes Pull Away
The big reason for the Hawkeyes’ dominant win? Dani Carnegie. The newcomer, a first-team All-SEC selection at Georgia last season, absolutely popped off for 21 points in her debut. This wasn’t some slow burn, either. Iowa found themselves tied at 23 with Towson with just over five minutes left in the second quarter. Then, just like that, they slammed the door on the half with a 10-0 run. That’s a gut check moment, and they passed it with flying colors.
Coach Jan Jensen, now in her third season, brought in six new players, and it looks like Carnegie is already making her presence felt. Add to that Chazadi “Chit-Chat” Wright dropping 14 points and freshman McKenna Woliczko adding a solid 10 points and eight rebounds, and you start to see where that offensive firepower came from, even with Heiden being contained. They extended that lead to 50-33 late in the third, and when Towson tried to claw back to within 11 early in the fourth, Iowa hit them with another 9-0 run to put the game on ice. Towson’s Eva Wilkerson had 15 points and Thalia Shepard added 13, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Hawkeye surge.
Early Season Jitters and What’s Next
It wasn’t a perfect game for Iowa, even with the blowout. They struggled from beyond the arc, hitting only 8 of 29 three-pointers. That’s a number they’ll want to clean up. They did shoot a respectable 44.6% from the field overall, and absolutely crushed Towson on the boards with a 52-27 rebounding edge. But 16 turnovers? That’s a stat that can haunt you against tougher competition. This team is coming off a 27-7 season where they tied for second in the Big Ten, so expectations are high. Winning their 27th consecutive season opener is a fantastic way to start, especially when a key player has an off-night. It shows a depth and adaptability this team might not have had before.
Iowa will look to build on this win when they host Eastern Illinois on Thursday. Towson, meanwhile, will host Frostburg State, also on Thursday. For the Hawkeyes, the challenge will be to tighten up the perimeter shooting and cut down on those turnovers. But for now, they proved they can win big even when their biggest star isn’t leading the scoring, and that’s a huge statement to kick off the new season.
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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