Something to (Chit-)Chat about: Wright’s 19 points help push Iowa past UNI

CEDAR FALLS — Careful, Chit-Chat. You’re going to debunk your reputation.

Pass-first? Not today.

Chit-Chat Wright hit 7 of 8 shots from the field, including all three of her 3-point attempts, in a 19-point dandy to lead 21st-ranked Iowa past Northern Iowa, 74-41, in a non-conference women’s basketball game Sunday afternoon at McLeod Arena.

“That was the brightest spot,” Coach Jan Jensen said. “She probably could have had another 10 (points). I thought that was a big growth step.”

A sophomore and a transfer from Georgia Tech, Wright had been an efficient floor general in the first three games (20 assists, three turnovers).

She can shoot, too. This was her third straight double-digit performance.

“I’m trying to balance that all out,” Wright said. “It’s easier when Coach wants you to shoot more.

“I’ve always been a gym rat, working on the little things that people don’t see.”

The Hawkeyes (4-0) won their sixth straight in the series, their 18th of the last 19.

“They’re very good, and we knew that,” UNI Coach Tanya Warren said. “We played a very good first quarter, but we missed some free throws and some layups, and the margin widened.”

UNI (0-3) graduated four 1,000-point scorers from last year, and it “absolutely was the (Panthers) game plan” to milk the shot clock, according to Warren.

“They score 100 points (per game) for a reason,” she said.

As a result, the McLeod crowd of 7,146 — most ever to witness a women’s sporting event — sat through a grinder.

Iowa led 15-8 at halftime, 35-15 at halftime. The Hawkeyes held the Panthers to 22.8-percent shooting (13 of 57).

“We came in, stepped up and did what we needed to do,” Iowa’s Hannah Stuelke said. “We’ve been really focused on our defense.”

Iowa is allowing 48.3 points per game. Sunday’s win was the Hawkeyes’ 11th consecutive win against their three in-state rivals, and will likely play for this year’s mythical state championship Dec. 10 at Iowa State.

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As a freshman at Georgia Tech, Wright averaged 7.2 points per game, shooting 37.1 percent from the field. In four games with the Hawkeyes, she’s at 14.5 points per contest and 20 of 30 from the floor (66.7 percent).

“This was huge,” Jensen said. “Before she came here, I watched tape, and she has such a quick release.”

Wright said, “I still want to clean up the turnovers.”

Iowa got 35 points from its reserves, including 15 from freshman Layla Hays, who hit 6 of 8 shots and grabbed seven rebounds.

“Layla has been tremendous,” Stuelke said. “Confidence is a big key for her.”

Bri Robinson led UNI with 15 points. Former Benton Community and Kirkwood Community College player Jenna Twedt scored seven points. Ryley Goebel (Center Point-Urbana) posted five points, eight rebounds and three blocks.

The Hawkeyes head to Orlando, Fla., for a pair of games late this week, against Baylor (Thursday) and Miami, Fla. (Saturday).

UNI is at Creighton on Thursday.

Iowa 74, Northern Iowa 41

At Cedar Falls

IOWA (74): Hannah Stuelke 2-6 0-2 4, Ava Heiden 2-5 4-7 8, Taylor McCabe 2-8 0-0 6, Kylie Feuerbach 1-3 0-0 2, Chit-Chat Wright 7-8 2-2 19, Emely Rodriguez 3-9 0-0 6, Layla Hays 6-8 2-3 14, Addie Deal 1-5 1-2 4, Journey Houston 1-3 0-0 2, Taylor Stremlow 2-4 0-0 5, Teagan Mallegni 1-4 0-0 2, Callie Levin 1-1 0-0 2, Kennise Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Jada Gyamfi 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-64 9-16 74.

NORTHERN IOWA (41): Ryley Goebel 2-7 1-2 5, Elise Jaeger 1-5 0-0 3, Jenna Twedt 3-9 0-0 7, Taryn Wharton 1-10 0-0 2, Bri Robinson 3-10 9-12 15, Maren Schmotzer 0-1 0-0 0, Kaylynn Janes 0-1 0-0 0, Virginia Edmondson 0-1 0-2 0, Mya Nicholson 1-5 0-0 3, Abby Tuttle 1-4 1-2 4, Lauren Walker 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 13-57 11-18 41.

Iowa 15 20 25 14 — 74

Northern Iowa 8 7 11 15 — 41

3-point goals: Iowa 7-24 (Stuelke 0-2, McCabe 2-6, Feuerbach 0-1, Wright 3-3, Rodriguez 0-1, Deal 1-5, Stremlow 1-3, Mallegni 0-3), UNI 4-21 (Jaeger 1-4, Twedt 1-3, Wharton 0-3, Edmondson 0-1, Nicholson 1-4, Tuttle 1-3, Walker 0-3). Team fouls: Iowa 16, UNI 11. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Iowa 48 (Stuelke, Hays 7), UNI 37 (Jaeger 10). Assists: Iowa 15 (Deal 4), UNI 4 (Goebel 2). Steals: Iowa 9 (Stremlow 4), UNI 8 (Jaeger 4). Turnovers: Iowa 14, UNI 18.

Attendance: 7,146.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com