Chit-Chat Wright's big night could not power the Hawkeyes to a win as they dropped their first game of the season, 79-65, to rival Iowa State in Ames.
Iowa knew what Iowa State wanted to do on offense, but still could not stop the Cyclones from scoring in the post.
Iowa State's Audi Crooks (30 points, 10 rebounds) and Addy Brown (20 points, 12 rebounds, five assists) could not be stopped down low and got the Hawkeyes in foul trouble early.
Ava Heiden, Hannah Stuelke, and Layla Hays were all in foul trouble throughout the game, with Heiden and Stuelke fouling out before the final buzzer.
Chit-Chat was back at full strength for the matchup and led the Hawkeyes in scoring with a career-high 21 points.
Taylor McCabe added 11 points and five rebounds, and Stuelke added a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds.
Iowa kept the game close, overcoming a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit, but a big 26-point third-quarter for the Cyclones was too much for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa also continued to struggle from the free-throw line, making only six of 12 attempts from the charity stripe.
When Iowa can't score in the paint, the offense struggles
In the disappointing loss to the Cyclones, a glaring weakness in the Iowa offense reared its ugly head once again.
The Cyclones were physical with the Hawkeyes down low, forcing the ball out of the paint and making Iowa take contested jump shots late in the clock.
Jan Jensen's strategy relies on paint touches and proficient low-post scoring, but when the Hawkeyes are forced to shoot outside the paint, they struggle.
The only two players who can create their own shots are Chit-Chat and Emely Rodriguez, and with Rodriguez still on the shelf, it was all on Chit-Chat's shoulders.
Kylie Feuerbach and Taylor McCabe can shoot from distance, but are spot-up shooters, and don't often look to create their own shot off the dribble.
Iowa's lack of players who can create their own shot will continue to haunt them if they can't find creative ways to score in the post.