The Iowa Hawkeye women jumped out to a big early lead then held off numerous second half rallies by Penn State for a 73-65 victory, their eighth straight win. Iowa coach Lisa Bluder says she’s proud of the way they kept their composure down the stretch and made some big plays.
The Hawkeyes made 19-of-20 free throws as they improved to 10-3 in the Big Ten an won another close game. Bluder says experience and leadership provided on the floor from the five seniors have helped them keep their composure and helped them to win the close games. Kristi Smith led the Hawks who improve to 17-7 overall. It was also Bluder’s 500th career win.