The No. 21-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the University of Northern Iowa Panthers 74-41 on Sunday at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Iowa improved to 4-0 while UNI fell to 0-3. The game drew a record crowd of 7,146 fans.
Iowa women's basketball entered the matchup with a 3-0 record, averaging 101.7 points per game offensively and holding opponents to 50.7 points defensively for a +51 scoring margin. The Hawkeyes, ranked No. 21, faced an in-state rival they lead 27-3 all-time, including wins in five straight and 17 of the last 18 meetings. Five Iowa players averaged double figures in scoring, led by sophomore center Ava Heiden with 16.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Freshman center Layla Hays had recorded her first career double-double in Iowa's previous 100-58 win over Drake.
The game tipped off at 2 p.m. CT and streamed exclusively on ESPN+ with J.W. Cox on play-by-play and Jacqui Kalin providing color commentary. UNI struck first with a jump shot from Bri Robinson, tying the score at 6 early. Iowa responded with a 9-2 run to lead 15-8 after the first quarter. A 13-2 Hawkeye run opened the second quarter, followed by a 7-5 edge, sending Iowa into halftime up 35-15.
In the third quarter, Iowa outscored UNI 25-11 to extend the lead to 60-26. UNI closed strong in the fourth, outscoring Iowa 15-14 behind five points from Jenna Twedt and four from Bri Robinson. Robinson led UNI with 15 points, six rebounds, and nine free throws—all career highs. Elise Jaeger grabbed 10 rebounds and four steals, while Ryley Goebel added eight rebounds, three blocks, and three steals, passing Alex Cook for 10th on UNI's all-time steals list with 157.
UNI coach Tanya Warren said, "We are going to continue to grow and get better. We could have taken the easy road and not scheduled as hard as we did, but that's not what we do. This non-conference schedule will continue to make us better. We just have to stay true to the process." UNI extended its program-record 548-game three-pointer streak with four makes. The Panthers host Creighton on November 20 at 6 p.m. CT.