UPSET ALERT!!!
The No. 19 Iowa Hawkeyes looked to add a signature win to their resume during their first real test of the season against No. 7 Baylor.
Iowa entered the game with a 4-0 record after winning its first four games of the season, and the squad has been dominating on both ends of the court.
The Hawkeyes were averaging 94.8 points per game through their first four matchups, ranking No. 2 in the Big Ten Conference.
That includes a 119-point outburst against Evansville, a Carver-Hawkeye Arena record.
Iowa was also holding opponents to an average of 48.3 points per game, ranking No. 2 in the Big Ten.
No. 7 Baylor entered the game averaging 73.8 points per game, while holding teams to 53 points per game, so something had to give.
Iowa overcame a sloppy offensive first-half to earn a comeback win
The Hawkeyes have been dominating opponents to start the season, but ran into a block party by the Baylor Bears in the first half.
Baylor blocked nine shots in the first half and held the Hawkeyes to 26.5 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Even with such a poor shooting half, the Hawkeyes were only down three points (28-25) heading into halftime.
Iowa ramped up defensive pressure in the second half, mixing in some 3-2 zone to force the Bears to shoot from the outside, and the strategy worked brilliantly.
The Bears missed 13 of 14 field goal attempts during a stretch of the game in the third and fourth quarters, allowing the Hawkeyes to hang around.
After a back-and-forth second half, the Hawkeyes took the lead with just under five minutes remaining in the game, and did not relinquish it.
Iowa knocked off No. 7 Baylor 57-52 in a low-scoring affair with only three Hawkeyes scoring in double figures.
Ava Heiden showcased why she is a force to be reckoned with
Sophomore center Ava Heiden was listed as a potential breakout star after her torrid start to the season, but expectations were tempered due to Iowa's easy schedule to begin.
Heiden wasted no time in hitting the glass hard and dominating the Bears' defenders down low as she notched her third double-double of the season with a team-leading 18 points and 11 rebounds.
The sophomore sensation played big minutes (35) in the upset and proved she is worth the star label she is starting to earn.
The "Strem Show" is all the way back
Sophomore guard Taylor Stremlow had yet to break out this season after having a solid season off the bench for Jan Jensen last year.
Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, starting point guard Chit-Chat Wright had to be carried off the court after suffering an injury, and Stremlow was forced into a bigger role.
She took full advantage of her opportunity, scoring a season-high 12 points in 25 minutes off the bench, including knocking down two clutch three-pointers late in the game.
If Wright is out for an extended period of time, the Hawkeyes will need more performances like that from Stremlow.
Chit-Chat Wright was injured in the third quarter of the win
Even though the Hawkeyes ultimately earned an emotional win on Thursday night, they could be without guard Chit-Chat Wright for an unknown amount of time.
Wright was fouled hard in the early stages of the third quarter and was attended to by the trainers for several minutes.
After the trainers got her to her feet, she was carried off the court by two Iowa staffers, and she did not return to the game.
Her injury status is currently unknown.
Next game: Saturday, November 22 vs. Miami (FL) at 7:00 p.m. Central Time