Iowa Women's Basketball Dominates Southern: Score, Recap, Highlights

Posted by The News Pulse November 05, 2025 Post a Comment

Iowa Women's Basketball Dominates Southern Jaguars in Season Opener

The Iowa women's basketball team kicked off its 2025-26 season with a commanding 86-51 victory over the Southern Jaguars at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Monday. The game was highlighted by a career-best performance from sophomore center Ava Heiden and another strong showing from senior forward Hannah Stuelke.

Heiden, a 6-foot-4 player from Oregon, delivered a standout performance, scoring a career-high 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field and 5-of-13 from the free-throw line. She also pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds in just 25 minutes of action. In addition to her points and rebounds, Heiden recorded one block and one steal, showcasing her all-around impact on the court.

Stuelke contributed 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 1-of-3 from beyond the arc and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line. She added 9 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block in 27 minutes of play. Her performance helped solidify Iowa’s dominance throughout the game.

Another key contributor for the Hawkeyes was sophomore transfer Emely Rodriguez, who scored 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including 1-of-2 from three-point range and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. She also added 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in 19 minutes off the bench.

Iowa's next game will be against Evansville at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on November 9 at 2 p.m. CT. The game will be available exclusively on Big Ten Plus, which requires a subscription.

Game Highlights

Throughout the game, Iowa displayed consistent dominance, especially in the second half. After starting the fourth quarter with an offensive surge, the Hawkeyes extended their lead to 25 points, prompting a timeout from Southern. The game saw several key moments that highlighted Iowa’s control:

End of 3rd QTR: Iowa 61, Southern 39
Iowa closed the third quarter with a 19-point advantage, thanks to continued dominance from Ava Heiden, who had 21 points on 8-of-13 from the floor and 5-of-8 from the line, along with 12 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block.
4:03 3rd QTR: Iowa 50, Southern 35
Despite Southern making a few clutch 3-point shots, Iowa maintained a comfortable lead due to Heiden’s double-double of 11 rebounds and 17 points.
8:09 3rd QTR: Iowa 44, Southern 26
Iowa came out of halftime strong, with Stuelke hitting a layup and a 3-pointer, and Heiden adding a layup to extend the lead.
Halftime: Iowa 37, Southern 24
In the final 5:51 of the second quarter, Iowa’s defense limited Southern to just 6 points, helping to build a comfortable lead.
5:51 2nd QTR: Iowa 22, Southern 18
After a slow start, Iowa began to gain momentum, forcing a Southern timeout after converting on offense through takeaways.
End of 1st QTR: Iowa 15, Southern 14
At the end of the first quarter, Iowa led by a single point, largely due to Southern’s aggressive defense. However, Iowa managed to draw four fouls and convert 6-of-10 free throws.

Injury Update

Sophomore guard Teagan Mallegni, who was listed as questionable heading into the season opener, has been downgraded to "out" due to an ankle/leg injury sustained on October 30. This comes after Iowa faced some injury concerns during its exhibition game against Ashland, where both Mallegni and Chazadi Wright exited with injuries.

Upcoming Schedule

Iowa's schedule for the 2025-26 season includes a mix of home and away games, with several high-profile matchups. Here are the upcoming games:

Nov. 3 vs. Southern: W, 86-51
Nov. 9 vs. Evansville: BTN+, 2 p.m.
Nov. 13 vs. Drake: Big Ten Network, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 16 at Northern Iowa: ESPN+, 2 p.m.
Nov. 20 vs. Baylor (WBCA Showcase in Orlando): ESPN2, 8 p.m.
Nov. 22 vs. Miami (WBCA Showcase in Orlando): ESPN+, 7 p.m.
Nov. 26 vs. Western Illinois: BTN+, 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 30 vs. Fairfield: Big Ten Network, Noon
Dec. 6 at Rutgers: FS1, 5 p.m.
Dec. 10 at Iowa State: ESPN, 6 p.m.
Dec. 13 vs. Lindenwood: BTN+, 2 p.m.
Dec. 20 vs. UConn (Champions Classic): Fox, Noon
Dec. 28 vs. Penn State: Big Ten Network, 3 p.m.
Jan. 1 vs. Nebraska: Big Ten Network, 1 p.m.
Jan. 5 at Northwestern: Big Ten Network, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 11 at Indiana: Big Ten Network, 4 p.m.
Jan. 15 vs. Oregon: FS1, 8 p.m.
Jan. 18 vs. Michigan State: Big Ten Network, 7 p.m.
Jan. 22 at Maryland: NBC, 5 p.m.
Jan. 25 vs. Ohio State: Peacock, 1 p.m.
Jan. 29 at USC: Peacock, 8 p.m.
Feb. 1 at UCLA: Fox, 3 p.m.
Feb. 5 vs. Minnesota: Big Ten Network, 6 p.m.
Feb. 11 vs. Washington: BTN+, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 16 at Nebraska: Fox, 11 a.m.
Feb. 19 at Purdue: BTN+, 6 p.m.
Feb. 22 vs. Michigan: Fox or FS1, 11 a.m. or 1 p.m.
Feb. 26 vs. Illinois: Big Ten Network, 8 p.m.
March 1 at Wisconsin: BTN+, 2 p.m.
March 4-8 Big Ten Tournament

Final Record

Iowa improved to 1-0 on the season, with a 0-0 record in the Big Ten Conference. The team is set for an exciting season filled with challenges and opportunities to grow.