Three Observations from Iowa Women's Basketball's victory over Oregon

With a difficult stretch of games looming, Iowa women's basketball couldn't look past the visiting Oregon Ducks on Thursday. 

There were a few rough patches mixed in, but the Hawkeyes (15-2, 6-0) passed the test with flying colors, dispatching the Ducks (14-5, 2-4), 74-66, in front of another raucous crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 

Here are three observations from Iowa's win: 

The Real Deal 

When five-star prospect Addie Deal arrived on campus in the summer, Hawkeye fans were expecting her to instantly turn into Caitlin Clark. While the Santa Ana, California native was one of the most highly-touted players in her recruiting class, she's showed her inexperience this year, averaging just 5.9 points per game and reaching double figures three times. 

Chad Leistikow said it best - Deal just "needed time to marinate." The Ducks certainly realized the marination process had ended on Thursday. 

Once Deal was inserted into the game, Iowa shined. The freshman recorded a new season-high 18 points along with three rebounds and one assist. Whenever the Hawkeyes needed a big bucket, she came through, especially from beyond the arc. Not only was Deal a perfect 4/4 from distance, all of the attempts were well-beyond the line. 

Iowa fans will love this statistic - Deal's 18 points are the most by a Hawkeye freshman since Clark tallied 21 in the 2021 Big Ten Tournament championship game. After the game, head coach Jan Jensen said what almost every Iowa fan was thinking - Deal got going at just the right time, as four of the Hawkeyes' next five contests are against ranked teams. 

“She’s just stayed the course. Sometimes what you think is going to happen right off the bat, it takes time. the game is faster, it’s bigger and there’s a lot that’s always happening,” Jensen told Hawkeye Report after the win. “Addie has just continued to progress…I hope this is going to be a really good clicking moment for her. This is what we saw when we recruited her.”

Stuelke Shines 

Hannah Stuelke has always been a model of consistency throughout her Iowa career, but the constant presence of star guards - Clark, Kate Martin, Deal, Chit-Chat Wright, etc. - overshadows some of her outstanding play. 

While a guard (Deal) did dominate the headlines on Thursday, Stuelke was the X-factor that helped the Hawkeyes pull away late in the third quarter. The senior tied Deal for the team-high of 18 points while also tallying eight rebounds and eight assists - a near triple-double. 

Oregon had no answers for Stuelke in the paint, and the forward even flashed a rare jumper late in the shot clock midway through the third. The bucket gave Iowa a double-digit lead (46-35), a margin it held for the remainder of the game. 

“We had some nice looks between her and Ava [Heiden], but Hannah’s a pretty smart basketball player, Jensen told Hawkeye Report. "…I’m really happy to see those eight assists and I’m really looking forward to watching the film to see exactly how they came. A couple of them were exactly how I wanted them to come.”

Dazzling Defense 

Iowa consistently boasts one of the Big Ten's best defensive units - allowing just 61.4 points per game - and it was on full display on Thursday. Sophomore Katie Fiso came into the game as Oregon's leading scorer at 15.2 points per game, but she was stifled by primary Hawkeye defender Kylie Feuerbach. 

Feuerbach is widely considered Iowa's top defender, and she held Biso to a pedestrian nine points. Sofia Bell picked up some of the Ducks' scoring load with three triples, but Oregon could only muster a 43 percent shooting clip from the field - a far cry from its usual 77.7-point offense it averages. 

"I feel very confident (in Kylie’s defense). She’s an equalizer with at least one (opposing) player and it gives our team confidence when you have one really good defensive stopper,” Jensen told Hawkeye Report. “Kylie just gives everybody confidence. She’s beloved in the locker room. She means a lot to this team.”

Up Next 

Iowa returns to action this Sunday, Jan. 18, for a showdown against No. 15 Michigan State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Spartans (17-1, 6-1) have played good basketball of late, defeating No. 24 Nebraska on their home floor on Thursday. 

Tip off is set for 7 p.m. CST on Big Ten Network.