Iowa women's basketball coach Lisa Bluder talks about the Hawkeyes cracking the top 25. Dargan Southard/HawkCentral
CEDAR FALLS, Ia. — Playing their first game since cracking both polls this week, the No. 25 Hawkeyes took firm control in the second half Sunday en route to a 71-47 win over Northern Iowa at the McLeod Center.
Owning a 28-24 halftime advantage, Iowa (11-1) strengthened its grip with a 16-4 third-quarter run that buried the Panthers in too deep of a hole. Despite losing point guard Tania Davis in the first half to a knee injury, Lisa Bluder’s squad once again leaned on the forceful dominance of Megan Gustafson, who threw up another double-double (26 points, 10 rebounds) with relative ease.