IOWA CITY, Iowa– Turnovers ultimately plagued the Hawkeyes in New York as they fall 78-68 to Tennessee. It’s the first loss of the Jan Jensen era.
Tennessee’s pressure rattled Iowa early. The Hawkeyes had four turnovers in their first five possessions and the Lady Vols converted points on all of Iowa’s turnovers. Jan Jensen’s crew had turnover troubles in Cancun, especially without star point guard Lucy Olsen and it showed early.
Iowa managed to shut them down after the fast start. They also controlled the boards early with a 9-2 advantage. Hannah Stuelke would score six of Iowa’s first 10 points and the Hawkeyes fought back to tie it up at 10 in the first media timeout.
The Lady Vols style is tough to run and it’s easy to tire out opposing teams. They excel in full-court pressure, taking the most three-pointers in the country and substitute more than most teams in America. Despite Iowa’s nine first quarter turnovers, they held Tennessee 0-of-11 from three-point range. Of Tennessee’s 18 first quarter points, 16 of them came off of Iowa turnovers. Jan Jensen’s crew still managed to lead 22-18 through the first 10 minutes.
Lucy Olsen led Iowa with 11 points in the first quarter.
Chaotic pace makes for a fun viewing experience and that was the case in the Barclays Center. Iowa got a couple nice buckets from Addi O’Grady in the post, but Tennessee would break their cold-spell from distance. Freshman guard Aaliyah Guyton also hit an open three when Olsen went to the bench with two fouls.
Turnover issues plagued Iowa’s ability to truly break open the game. For all the good that Iowa did in the first-half, they couldn’t take care of the basketball. The Hawkeyes turned it over 18 times in the first 20 minutes, but out-hustled the Lady Vols and things were squared away at 35 entering the half.
Physicality on both ends of the floor from both squads. Olsen picked up a quick third foul within the first minute of the second-half, but Jensen opted to leave her on the floor. Stuelke is known for her rebounding and ability to finish at the rim, but she showcased herself as a passer. She constantly found Addi O’Grady in the post when Stuelke was double-teamed.
Tennessee continued to find a way to stay in the game whenever Iowa saw an opportunity to pull away. They would retake the lead after Talaysia Cooper got into the paint and finished a difficult layup with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Cooper began to do some more damage in the third quarter while Iowa was desperately trying to get Stuelke going again. The Hawkeyes half-court defense wasn’t bad on Saturday night, but the constant pressure from the Lady Vols threw off whatever they wanted to do. Tennessee managed to score 30 points off of Iowa turnovers through the first three quarters. The Hawkeyes trailed by three entering the final period.
Olsen continued to come up with big plays in the fourth. A fast-break layup and finding players that are in a position to make positive contributions. Kylie Feuerbach had a handful of hustle plays that helped start the fourth quarter with momentum.
Iowa needed another player outside of Olsen and that’s when O’Grady stepped up to the challenge. The 6-foot-4 post had three buckets in the first four minutes to help give Iowa a 62-59 lead with just over five minutes remaining.
That lead didn’t last long as Ruby Whitehorn drilled a three-pointer fresh out of the timeout. Olsen didn’t hesitate to get it right back with a layup of her own. The two teams exchanged buckets, tough stops and skillful shots.
Cooper’s on-ball pressure turned into easy buckets on the other end and Iowa couldn’t keep pace. They didn’t score a field goal over the final 4:38. The Hawkeyes ended with 30 turnovers and Tennessee scored 42 points off of them.
Star(s) of the Game:
Lucy Olsen- What else can you say about Olsen? She’s a special player and it’s clear how much she means to the Hawkeyes. Her ability to control the pace, get a bucket when Iowa needs it and has an ability to lead her squad. The Hawkeyes have a healthy mix of experience and newcomers with this year’s team, but it’s become abundantly clear that she’ll be the straw that stirs the drink.
Iowa has pieces around Olsen that are needed to be a successful team, but she could be the killer that Iowa needs when an opportunity for a big shot comes around.
She ended with 23 points, five assists and three rebounds.
Up Next: The Hawkeyes are back in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in one of their biggest games of the year. They’ll welcome in a top-20 Iowa State squad that will be eager to try to take back momentum in this competitive series.
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