Iowa Women's Basketball battled until the end in a tough matchup with the three-seed Ohio State Buckeyes. Hannah Stuelke missed a last-second shot that would have won the game as Iowa fell 60-59 in the Quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
With former Iowa legends Lisa Bluder and Caitlin Clark in the building, the 11-seed Hawkeyes were trying to upset the three-seed Buckyes in a back-and-forth game.
The Hawkeyes were about to do something unprecedented in the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament. A double-digit seed has never won the Big Ten Tournament title, and Friday night against the Buckeyes, Iowa was attempting to do just that.
After trading three-point baskets to start the game, the Buckeyes would get hot, going on an 11-2 run. The Hawkeyes responded, closing out the quarter with four straight points to close the gap to five points.
Each team traded runs, with the Buckeyes going on a 6-0 and the Hawkeyes going on a 10-2 run to take the lead 28-26 late in the quarter. Ohio State would hit three late free throws to take a slim 29-28 lead after the first half.
The defensive struggle continued in the second half. Both teams traded the lead, and Iowa wound up with the ball down one point with under ten seconds to go. The ball was worked in to Stuelke for a good look, but she missed the attempt and Iowa lost a heart-breaking game.
Stuelke had an excellent night, notching a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Lucy Olsen also poured in 14 points and added seven assists. Freshman Ava Heiden had another great game, adding 10 points and four rebounds off the bench.
The game was a defensive struggle as each team held their opponent under 40 percent shooting from the field. The Buckeyes narrowly edged the Hawkeyes in three-point shooting at 38 percent and forced 16 turnovers in the win.
The Hawkeyes head home from Indianapolis to await their NCAA Tournament fate. The 2025 NCAA Women's Tournament Selection Sunday will occur on Sunday, March 16, at 7:00 p.m. Central Time. ESPN currently has Iowa as a six-seed heading into Selection Sunday.