Iowa Returns to Big Ten Championship Game

No. 2 seed Iowa advanced to the Big Ten Tournament Championship game with a gritty 59-42 win over No. 3 Michigan. The Hawkeyes opened with a strong 13-2 run, holding Michigan to its lowest-scoring quarter since 2017 (4 points). Syla Swords and Mia Holloway helped Michigan briefly take the lead in the third, but Iowa responded with a strong fourth quarter.

Hannah Stuelke scored 11 of her 13 points in the final period, leading a 10-0 run that sealed the victory. Ava Heiden led all scorers with 16 points, while Chit-Chat Wright and Taylor Stremlow added 13 and 11, respectively. Iowa controlled the paint in a very physical game, outscoring Michigan, 24-16. The Hawkeyes, with four players in double figures, aim to reclaim the tournament title after winning three straight from 2022-24. And who do they face?

The team that broke up their four-peat.

In the championship game tomorrow, No. 2 seed Iowa will now face No. 1 seed UCLA. Want to see it in person?  Click here .

Quarter-by-quarter breakdown of the semifinal showdown below!

First Quarter: Here come the Hawkeyes

• Iowa starts out strong with a 13-2 run led by six points from Ava Heiden and five from Taylor Stremlow.
• Olivia Olson gets four points, but that's it for the Wolverines. They're held to their lowest-scoring quarter since 2017 as Iowa jumps out to a 13-4 lead.

Second Quarter: Wolverines bouncing back

• Just like that, Syla Swords gets Michigan back in the game with back-to-back triples in the first 45 seconds of Q2. 13-10 Iowa.
• The teams trade scores. Olson nets four points for the Wolverines, while Chit-Chat Wright buries a three and a jumper for Iowa. 23-17 Iowa at 3:56.
• Iowa scores six straight before Michigan counters with five of its own. Heiden converts a three-point play to keep Iowa up 22-28 at halftime.
• Notable: Michigan is shooting just 26% from the field so far compared to Iowa's 41%.

Third quarter: Defensive showdown continues

• Four quick U of M points and another Swords three put the Wolverines within two!
• A THREE-POINT PLAY FROM MIA HOLLOWAY GIVES MICHIGAN ITS FIRST LEAD OF THE GAME! 34-33 Wolverines with 6:08 left in the third.
• Both teams go 4+ minutes without scoring due to turnovers.
• Hannah Stuelke gets the Hawkeyes back on the board before Holloway ends the quarter with a jumper. The Wolverines head into the fourth with a slight 36-35 edge.

Fourth quarter: Stuelke takes the reigns

• Stuelke opens the final period with five straight points for a 40-36 Iowa lead!
• Notable: This has been a tough, gritty, physical battle, particularly in the paint.
• Holloway sinks two free throws to put the Wolverines back within two, but Stuelke strikes again with another two to force a Michigan timeout. 42-38 Hawkeyes, 7:20 remaining.
• Back-t0-back threes for Wright and Stremlow put the Hawkeyes up 48-38. Heiden caps off a 10-0 run with a two before Mia Macy brown ends Michigan's skid. 50-40 Iowa with 3:10 remaining.
• Stuelke and Heiden score to close out Iowa's 59-42 semifinal victory!
• Notable: Four Hawkeyes finish with 11+ points – Heiden (16), Wright (13), Stuelke (13), Stremlow (11).
• Notable: Hannah Stuelke scored 11 of her 13 points in the fourth quarter.
• Notable: Iowa won the tough battle in the paint, scoring 24 points vs. Michigan's 16.

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