Iowa women’s basketball eases past Missouri Western in unofficial start of Jan Jensen era

IOWA CITY — After taking a moment to acknowledge the warm ovation from the Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd before her first exhibition as head coach, Jan Jensen energetically ran up the Carver-Hawkeye Arena steps.

She reached the media area about one-third of the way up the stairs and gave a hug to her now-retired mentor Lisa Bluder, who was “trying to be incognito” in the stands.

“I just wanted her to know that I’m thankful, and I owe so very much to her,” Jensen said. “I didn’t do it for a lot of talking about it or PR. It just felt right to do.”

That energy continued throughout the night as Iowa women’s basketball soared past Division II-level Missouri Western, 110-55, in an exhibition Wednesday night.

“I’m so thankful that I got the win, but I’m more excited for these guys,” Jensen said. “Because I think you got to see tonight that they’re just a really good group. ... They’re really for each other.”

The win on Wednesday had the “bits and pieces,” Jensen said, that are similar to “what we enjoyed last year and all the years before when it’s a good win.”

“And that’s what I hope we keep building on,” Jensen said.

The Hawkeyes, often pushing the tempo, enjoyed a comfortable lead throughout Wednesday’s rout. They had a 49-17 lead at one point in the second quarter and led by at least 28 points throughout the second half.

Cedar Rapids native Hannah Stuelke had 18 points on 5-of-6 shooting and seven free throws. She also had five rebounds. Freshman guard Teagan Mallegni had 18 points as well on 5-for-11 shooting in her unofficial college debut.

Villanova transfer guard Lucy Olsen had 14 points on 4-for-9 shooting in her unofficial Iowa debut. The 2023-24 All-American honorable mention also had six assists and six rebounds.

Guard Kylie Feuerbach and center Ava Heiden finished in double-figures as well, scoring 14 and 10 points, respectively.

“I was particularly pleased with (Feuerbach’s) play tonight because we’re going to need her, and that kid deserves it,” Jensen said. “She’s worked really hard, and her path hasn’t always been easy.”

Missouri Western, meanwhile, struggled to muster anything offensively, shooting 28 percent from the field and 26 percent from 3-point range. The Griffons had more turnovers (19) than made field goals (17).

“We feed off our defense, and we’ve been really emphasizing that in practice and just really working on it,” Mallegni said.

As usual for an exhibition against a Division II program, Wednesday’s exhibition offered an opportunity for Jensen to try different rotations.

Jensen went with Taylor McCabe, Feuerbach, Olsen, Stuelke and Addison O’Grady in the starting lineup. (Jensen said the center battle is “pretty competitive,” but Heiden was “under the weather.”) Nine different players saw the floor in the first quarter alone, and 11 different players saw the floor at some point on Wednesday. All 11 players scored as well.

“These games should be like this,” Jensen said. “I hope we’re celebrating all the things we’re talking about next Wednesday and then the following Saturday or Sunday, whenever we go to Charlotte.”

The Hawkeyes’ 2024-25 season will officially get underway next Wednesday as they play Northern Illinois at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Regardless of where Bluder will be sitting for that game, her presence will be felt on the Iowa sideline.

“She has so many marks not only on Iowa, but on Drake, and I will say on this nation,” Jensen said. “I always tell her she’s forever on my sideline. And I’m pretty sure I told her if there’s ever something you need me to do, if you send it through telepathy, I might hear it.”

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