Iowa routs Washington, 85-61, to put a five-game skid to rest

Note: The story was written in Cedar Rapids

It counts as only one win.

But, boy, the Iowa women’s basketball team left some heavy baggage behind in the Pacific Northwest.

The Hawkeyes played their best game of the season Wednesday night and smashed Washington, 85-61, in a cleansing Big Ten rout at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle.

Iowa (13-7 overall, 3-6 Big Ten) made all eight of its 3-point attempts in the first half, sizzled to 71.7 percent from the field throughout the game — making 33 of 46 shots — and emphatically snapped a five-game losing streak, its longest since 2013.

Burdened with a 2-for-12, four-point effort three days earlier in a 50-49 loss to Oregon, Lucy Olsen was marvelous Wednesday. The senior transfer from Villanova was 8-of-8 from the field (4-of-4 from long range), scored 20 points and dished out six assists.

Addison O’Grady added 17 points, Kylie Feuerbach 12, Taylor McCabe 11.

Iowa was without Hannah Stuelke for the second straight game. Stuelke suffered a concussion in the Hawkeyes’ loss at Nebraska last Thursday.

Washington (13-7, 4-4) got out to a 9-4 lead, but the Hawkeyes answered with a 22-5 run through the rest of the quarter and led 26-14 by the end of the period.

Iowa’s first five baskets of the second quarter were 3-pointers. Sydney Affolter hit one. Then it was Olsen, then McCabe twice, then Olsen again.

It was 50-26 at halftime, and the Hawkeyes rolled from there. They led by as many as 36 points early in the fourth quarter.

Iowa won the rebounding battle, 32-16, led by Ava Heiden’s six boards.

Elle Ladine led Washington with 24 points.

The Hawkeyes will host Northwestern at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com