The six-seed Iowa Hawkeye Women's Basketball team is in Norman, Oklahoma, for their First Round NCAA Women's Tournament matchup against the 11-seed Murray State Racers.
This will be Iowa's first game since their narrow 59-60 loss against Ohio State in the Quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. The Hawkeyes learned they would be a six-seed in the NCAA Tournament after the Selection Sunday Show.
Tourney Time 🔜#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/Cv8EBZfv0n
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) March 21, 2025
The Hawkeyes were excited after learning they made the NCAA Tournament field for the seventh consecutive season. Their first round matchup is not one they can overlook.
Iowa Senior Guard Lucy Olsen admitted if the Hawkeyes had played better earlier in the season, they would have been a higher seed. They drew the Missouri Valley Conference Champion Murray State Racers in the first round.
Murray State has a prolific offense and can score in bunches. The Racers racked up 25 wins this season( a program record) en route to their MVC Championship title.
Iowa will have a tough test in Saturday's matchup, but three factors will determine their victory.
Slow down there, speed racer
The Murray State Racers are known for their high-powered offense. The Racers led Division I in scoring with 87.8 points per game this past season. They have a balanced attack, with four of their five starters averaging double-digit points per game.
Katelyn Young is the unquestioned leader of the Racers. She leads Murray State in scoring for the second consecutive season, averaging 22.2 points per game. She is Murray State's all-time leader in scoring, with 3,023 total points.
Young is also second on the team in rebounds per game (6.4) and third in assists per game (3.25).
Halli Poock (17.1), Haven Ford (15.2), and Ava Learn (13.9) also average double figures in points for the balanced Racers' attack. Ford also leads the Racers in assists per game (5.3).
The Racers can score a lot of points, and they share the basketball effectively. As a team, Murray State averages 18.3 assists per game.
The Hawkeyes must slow down the powerful Murray State attack by jumping into the passing lanes and limiting their shots in transition. Murray State is better from inside the arc (45.8 percent) than they are from behind the arc (35.6 percent).
Iowa must force them into contested shots from behind the arc and not let them dominate inside the paint. The Hawkeyes also must mix up defenses to keep the Racers' offense in check. Mixing in the 2-3 zone will be an effective strategy against this high-powered Murray State offense.
The "dynamic duo" must lead the Hawkeyes
The Iowa Hawkeyes must lean on stars Lucy Olsen and Hannah Stuelke if they expect to take down the Racers. They were named a "dynamic duo" to watch going into the tournament, and they must live up to that billing in round one.
Lucy Olsen led the Hawkeyes in scoring (18.0) and assists (4.9) per game this season. She has been heating up from beyond the arc, shooting 47 percent from three-point range over the last 10 games. Iowa has a 7-3 record during the past 10 games.
When Olsen leads the way, the Hawkeyes win the game, especially when she is sharing the rock. Iowa is 10-3 when Olsen records six-plus assists in a game.
Hannah Stuelke has been equally important to the Hawkeyes' success. Stuelke is the team leader in rebounds per game (7.9) and second in points per game (12.8). This season, Stuelke has recorded seven double-doubles (points and rebounds).
That includes a 14-point, 10-rebound performance in the Hawkeyes' last game versus Ohio State.
Olsen and Stuelke averaged a combined 30.8 points and 11.7 rebounds per game this season. They must get going early in this game to secure the victory. This includes running a multitude of high screen and rolls between the pair.
This will ensure Olsen has the ball in her hands. She can either shoot or feed Stuelke off of those high ball screens. Make the Racers play defense for an extended period and use your two best players to facilitate the offense.
The fabulous freshman must show up big
The Iowa Hawkeyes have a unique situation where Head Coach Jan Jensen plays her freshman players often. Jensen has even sent an all-freshman lineup into games. Jensen has trusted her talented freshman, and they have responded.
Freshmen Aaliyah Guyton, Ava Heiden, Teagan Mallegni, and Taylor Stemlow have all played in 25-plus games for the Hawkeyes this season. Guyton and Stremlow are a part of the first group of substitutions that enter the game.
Ava Heiden has provided a huge energy lift over the past two games. She tallied 11 points and four rebounds in the Second Round of the Big Ten Tournament against Michigan State and 10 points and four rebounds in the Quarterfinal against Ohio State.
The fabulous freshman must continue to provide a spark off the bench if Jan Jensen's squad hopes to beat the Racers in the first round.
Prediction
The game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Murray State Racers will feature two opposite sides of the spectrum. Iowa is a stout defensive team, and Murray State is a prolific offensive team. Something has to give.
Iowa has an ace on defense with Kylie Feuerbach in the lineup. Feuerbach will slow down Katelyn Young, and the Hawkeyes will play solid defense. It will be a low-scoring affair, with both teams not making it out of the 60s.
The Hawkeyes will slow down the high-powered Racers' offense and halt their 10-game winning streak. Lucy Olsen goes for 16 points and eight assists, and Hannah Stuelke has a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double as the Hawkeyes win 67-60 in a close game.
How and when to watch Round One
The six-seed Iowa Hawkeyes battle the 11-seed Murray State Racers in Norman, Oklahoma, at 11:00 a.m. Central Time. Tickets for the game at the Lloyd Noble Center are still available.
You can get general admission tickets for as low as 13 dollars, or tickets in sections 103 and 117 for between 18 and 28 dollars.
The game will also be televised on ESPN.