After a disappointing and difficult defeat Iowa on Wednesday evening Iowa The women's basketball team returned home for Saturday morning's matchup with the Lindenwood Lions.
No one doubted the result of this game, since Hawkeyes did business with a convincing 104–68 win over the Lions. Iowa did exactly what it was supposed to do against an opponent over whom it was a huge favorite, while showing some encouraging signs.
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With the schedule really heating up soon and a matchup with number one UCONN next Saturday on the schedule, what did this win over the Lions show us about the Hawkeyes? Here are the biggest takeaways from Iowa's big win over Lindenwood.
Hannah Stulke dominates
It was a tough night for Iowa players against the Cyclones, but they responded in a big way on Saturday. Hannah Stühlke in particular had a great day. The senior forward scored an astonishing 19 points in the first half and finished the game with 31 points. She shot 13-18 from the field, easily finished the ball at the rim and was actively looking for her shot.
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It hasn't quite been the senior season Stuehlke had hoped for, as she is averaging her fewest points per game since her freshman season. Perhaps this game will be the one that pushes her into action as Iowa prepares for conference play. Stuehlke is an incredible player with the skill set and leadership to help this team succeed in March. If she starts playing like this all the time, be careful. Iowa will be a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten.
Ball movement was excellent
Iowa's offense as a whole was set up from the start, but the ball movement was the biggest thing that stood out to me on that end of the floor. The Hawkeyes finished the game with 31 assists, led by Taylor McCabe with seven assists. Coming into the game, Iowa averaged 21.1 passes per game, which was sixth in the country among FBS programs. That number will increase after Saturday's win.
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There's a reason Iowa's offense is one of the most efficient units in all of women's college basketball. Everyone knows where they should be, the distance is long, the transmission is efficient. This leads to a lot of easy looks at the rim for bigs and a lot of wide open threes. Even without a bona fide number one quarterback, the Hawkeyes have the best offense in the entire country. This is a big credit to Jan Jensen.
Iowa is resilient
This game may have been the prototype for the Hawkeyes' trap game. Sandwiched between the top two teams on the schedule and suffering a heartbreaking loss, this game in Lindenwood presented Iowa with the opportunity to have a disappointing game. The Hawkeyes made sure this game was never in doubt, completely dominating from the start to avoid going down against the Lions.
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This team played with a lot of heart and energy after losing to Iowa State and it was fantastic to see. They take every game and opponent seriously, a trait that will pay huge dividends this season. Every team with the Hawkeyes on their schedule knows they will have to work hard to win. Iowa doesn't phase in when the opponent takes a big run or when shots don't fall. They play their game and that game is good enough to beat any team in the country any day.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa women's basketball takeaways from dominant win over Lindenwood
