Hawkeyes end road trip with win

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Iowa women's basketball team ended its five-game, 11-day road trip Wednesday night by routing Virginia, 85-73, in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge at John Paul Jones Arena.

Junior Alexa Kastanek scored 22 points to lead the Hawkeyes (7-1), with Ally Disterhoft adding 18 in the winning effort.

Mikayla Venson led the Cavaliers with 28 points, but Virginia (5-3) still dropped its third straight game.

The Hawkeyes, who improved to 3-0 all-time against Virginia, moved to 3-6 all-time in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge. They wrapped up a grueling five-game road trip at with a 4-1 record.

'I am so proud of our women,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said.

'Our players looked strong, in great shape, and we looked in control the whole time. I liked the way our team came out and played.”

Leading 40-35 at the half, Kastanek erupted for Iowa to open the second half, scoring the team's first 12 points out of the break.

Freshmen Tania Davis scored 12 points and Megan Gustafson blocked five shots for Iowa.

Seven Hawkeyes combined for 17 assists. Disterhoft and sophomore Whitney Jennings both had four assists and senior Kali Peschel added three.

The Hawkeyes outrebounded the Cavaliers, 36-25, in the ballgame, reversing a trend where they had tied or been outrebounded in six of their eight games this season.

Kastanek was 4-of-7 from three-point range for Iowa. Sophomore Christina Buttenham was 2-of-4, and Peschel was 2-of-7.

Iowa returns home Sunday - the team currently owns a 21-game winning streak at Carver-Hawkeye Arena - against Robert Morris (4-3) at 1 p.m.