Iowa women's basketball handles Michigan, moves into 2nd-place tie in Big Ten

IOWA CITY — Another big third quarter. And another major step forward in the Big Ten race.

No. 18 Iowa stung Michigan with a quick 10-0 run shortly after halftime and sailed home with a 75-61 women's basketball triumph in front of 6,287 Thursday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

'I loved our third quarter,' Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said after the Hawkeyes (13-4 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) won that frame by a 22-9 count. 'We shot the ball well. We defended well.

'We had trouble boxing out in the first half, then we came back out and gave up just one offensive rebound in the second half, and just two turnovers.'

Right on all accounts.

The Hawkeyes joined a four-team Big Ten second-place chase pack, along with Maryland, Indiana and Purdue. All are two games in back of league-leading Rutgers, which comes to Carver next Wednesday.

As was the case in a comeback win Monday at Minnesota, Iowa came out of intermission ablaze.

Hailey Brown opened the second half with a basket to get Michigan (11-7, 2-4) within 32-31, then the Hawkeyes responded swiftly.

Hannah Stewart scored twice inside, then Makenzie Meyer bounced home a 3-pointer and Tania Davis swished another. Suddenly, the margin was 11, and it continued to grow.

Iowa led 54-36 late in the third quarter, and when the Wolverines got within 63-53 midway through the fourth, Stewart scored three more baskets as the Hawkeyes reclaimed control.

Megan Gustafson posted 21 points and 16 rebounds, and her six assists was one shy of a career-high.

'I was reading the defense,' Gustafson said. 'I get double- and triple-teamed every single day, and I was able to hit the post on the other side.'

Generally, Stewart (16 points) was the beneficiary.

'We play against guys in practice, and they're bigger than (the Wolverines). We felt really prepared,' Stewart said. 'We know all the Big Ten teams are going to be rough and tough.'

Davis and Kathleen Doyle scored 10 points apiece, Alexis Sevillian nine. Davis and Sevillian are Michigan natives.

No big deal, according to Davis.

'Just another game,' she said.

Iowa had a bad stretch early, when it gave up turnovers and offensive rebounds and Michigan converted a 13-2 run into a 16-10 advantage. The Hawkeyes got even, 16-16, by the end of the quarter, and Sevillian's 3-pointer gave Iowa the lead for good at 30-27.

Naz Hillmon — who, like Gustafson, is one of the most efficient field-goal shooters in the nation — led Michigan with 16 points. Six-foot-5 Hallie Thome added 15, but nobody else scored more than seven.

The Hawkeyes are at Illinois on Sunday for a 2 p.m. game. 

IOWA 75, MICHIGAN 61

At Iowa City

MICHIGAN (61): Hailey Brown 3-8 0-0 7, Hallie Thome 7-12 1-2 15, Amy Dilk 2-6 1-1 5, Nicole Munger 2-11 1-2 5, Deja Church 3-10 0-0 6, Haz Hillman 8-12 0-1 16, Kayla Robbins 1-4 0-0 2, Akienreh Johnson 2-4 0-0 4, Emily Kiser 0-0 1-2 1, Ariel Young 0-0 0-0 0, Danielle Rauch 0-0 0-0 0, Priscilla Smeenge 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-67 4-8 61.

IOWA (75): Hannah Stewart 8-12 0-1 16, Megan Gustafson 9-14 3-6 21, Makenzie Meyer 2-4 0-0 5, Tania Davis 4-7 1-2 10, Kathleen Doyle 5-14 0-0 10, Amanda Ollinger 1-1 0-0 2, Alexis Sevillian 4-6 0-0 9, Monika Czinano 1-1 0-0 2, Tomi Taiwo 0-0 0-0 0, Zion Sanders 0-0 0-0 0, Logan Cook 0-0 0-0 0, Paula Valino Ramos 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 34-59 4-9 75.

Halftime: Iowa 32, Michigan 29. 3-point goals: Michigan 1-15 (Brown 1-5, Dilk 0-2, Munger 0-7, Johnson 0-1), Iowa 3-9 (Meyer 1-2, Davis 1-3, Doyle 0-3, Sevillian 1-1). Team fouls: Michigan 13, Iowa 13. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Michigan 33 (Church 7), Iowa 37 (Gustafson 16). Assists: Michigan 17 (Thome 6), Iowa 25 (Gustafson, Davis 6). Steals: Michigan 5 (Munger, Church 2), Iowa 7 (Stewart, Doyle 3). Turnovers: Michigan 7, Iowa 9.

Attendance: 6,287.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com