Iowa women reach a new depth

IOWA CITY - So swift, so sudden, this change of momentum.

 One moment, the Iowa Hawkeyes led by nine points, had the ball and appeared to be sailing.

Three minutes later, they trailed by four and were forced to play catch-up.

They couldn't do it.

Penn State used a 13-0 run to keep Iowa sliding, 68-62, in a Big Ten women's basketball game before 3,148 Thursday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“If you invest a lot in something, it hurts. And it should hurt,” said Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder. “There's nothing wrong with being a little ticked off about this loss.”

Iowa (8-9 overall, 1-5 Big Ten) dropped below .500 for the first time this season. The Hawkeyes are off to their worst six-game Big Ten start since 1982-83.

Yes, they're young. Yes, they're depleted. But this is a game that should have been won.

“I feel like I've said that a lot this year,” Bluder said. “We need to win these games.”

Jaime Printy matched a career-high with 26 points. Her 3-pointer with 9:40 left put Iowa in front, 49-40.

Then, in the blink of an eye, it all changed.

Alex Bentley hit a 3-pointer and another basket, then Tyra Grant nailed a pair of treys and two free throws. Suddenly, Penn State (12-4, 4-2) led, 53-49.

Iowa couldn't recover.

“We play really good for a certain amount of time, then we lose focus,” Printy said.

“You know teams can go on runs, but I really thought we were going to win that game.”

Bluder said, “Obviously, Penn State picked up the intensity. We didn't match that.”

The Hawkeyes pulled within 60-58, but Morgan Johnson missed a 6-footer, Printy misfired on a 3-point attempt, Kamille Wahlin kicked the ball out of bounds and Kachine Alexander missed two free throws on the next four possessions as the Lady Lions pulled away.

Printy's other 26-point game came in a loss at Minnesota.

Kelly Krei added 13 points, 11 in the second half.

Grant led the Lady Lions with 20 points. Bentley scored 15.

Iowa plays at Purdue at 11 a.m. Sunday.