Hawkeyes take unbeaten record, new ranking to Cancun Challenge

IOWA CITY — After three weeks on the outside (barely) looking in, the Iowa women’s basketball team regained a seat at the proverbial table.

Iowa takes an undefeated record (6-0) and a national ranking (No. 22) to the Cancun Challenge.

“The flight (to Mexico) will be a lot more enjoyable,” Coach Jan Jensen said Sunday after the Hawkeyes toasted Washington State, 72-43.

Iowa faces Rhode Island (4-3) at 5:30 p.m. (CT) Thursday, then meets Brigham Young (5-1) at 8 p.m. Friday.

That will mark the Hawkeyes’ third and fourth neutral-site contests this season, with another to come Dec. 7, against Tennessee at Brooklyn, N.Y.

Iowa is in the Associated Press rankings for the first time this season after sitting as the first team among “others receiving votes” in the first three polls.

Win both games this week, and Jensen will become the first Iowa coach to begin her head coaching career with eight consecutive victories.

All six of the victories thus far have been of the double-digit variety. Iowa is averaging 80.8 points per game, allowing 59.3.

“Defense has been more an emphasis,” Jensen said. “People are buying into that emphasis. People are good on the ball, whether on ball screens, or to go under the screen. That allows us to put our best people in positions that I like.”

The Hawkeyes moved a step closer to a complete roster Sunday. Freshman guard Aaliyah Guyton made her first appearance in the closing minutes.

Guyton suffered a torn ACL last year as a high school senior in Peoria, Ill.

“I’m so excited for her,” Lucy Olsen said. “She has worked so hard to get to this point.”

“It’s one of the cooler moments I’ve had in my brief career as a head coach,” Jensen said.

Despite a consistent 3-point pattern (28.6 percent), Iowa has been reasonably productive offensively.

Olsen, the Villanova transfer, is averaging 17.3 points and 5.3 assists per game.

“A lot of teams don’t face the midrange (game),” said Olsen, who thrives on it.

Jensen said, “What makes this year kind of fun ... in the past, you knew how your top two or three scorers would be. Now, it could be Lucy, it could be Hannah (Stuelke), it could be Addi (O’Grady).

“We’re trying different combinations. The climb keeps getting steeper and steeper. We’re looking to see who complements who well.”

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com