They’re freshmen, and Aaliyah Guyton and Taylor Stremlow have emerged as the Iowa’s young ‘dogs’

IOWA CITY — Aaliyah Guyton and Taylor Stremlow are, in the words of Iowa assistant women’s basketball coach Sean Sullivan, “the dogs of the team.”

Right now, as freshmen, they’re still puppies.

Their leadership capabilities do bode well for the future. But the future is the future, and the current task at hand for the Hawkeyes is to reverse a losing trend and get their season back on track.

“We just need one win to get us going, because these kids believe,” Sullivan said in a zoom call with the media Friday. “We’re just one or two possessions away.”

Iowa (12-6 overall, 2-5 Big Ten) has dropped four consecutive games, its longest skid since 2016. The four setbacks have been by a total of 23 points.

“All of the losses have been winnable games,” senior Sydney Affolter said. “That’s the frustrating part.”

Next up for the Hawkeyes is a swing to the Pacific Northwest — at Oregon (13-5, 4-3) at 4 p.m. (CT) Sunday, then at Washington (12-6, 3-3) at 8 p.m. (CT) Wednesday.

Sullivan’s answer to the leadership question mirrored the response that head coach Jan Jensen provided postgame Thursday about from where the team’s voice comes.

That response was immediate and decisive.

“Guyton,” Jensen said. “She does a heck of a job. There’s a reason she is in at the end of a game, when it’s tight.

“She has great perspective. Aaliyah is wise beyond her years in that.”

Jensen, meanwhile, is trying to strike a balanced tone in reversing the slide.

“You can be Bob Knight, or you can be Pollyanna,” she said. “You’ve got to be somewhere in the middle.

“I do believe there was progress (Thursday). I believe the team has a lot left in them. But we’ve got to create a break. We can’t wait to catch a break. We need to create them.”

Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene is about 100 miles away from Sherwood, Ore., home of freshman reserve post Ava Heiden.

“She’s excited, super, super excited,” Sullivan said. “I love coaching her. She’s so positive and hopes for the best for everyone.”

With the move of Hannah Stuelke back to the center spot, that squeezes the minutes of both Heiden and Addison O’Grady.

“We’re trying to put formulas together,” Sullivan said. “We have all of these little puzzles.”

Sullivan was asked about the feasibility of Heiden at the “4.”

“That’s a great question,” he said. “She has the athletic ability. It’s something we might look at in the offseason.”

But again, the future is the future, and it’s bright. The task at hand Sunday ... that’s real.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com