Sports

Iowa vs. Michigan women’s basketball: Highlights from Big Ten game

The Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team ended a two-game losing streak with a 79-66 road win over their Big Ten foe Michigan Wolverines on Wednesday night at Crisler Center.

Iowa guard Sydney Affolter led the way with a career-high 24-points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals to mark her sixth double-double of the season. Affolter scored 14 points in the first quarter and matched her previous career-best of 18 points by halftime. She finished the night shooting 9-of-12 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 from three. Teammate Lucy Olsen was also red-hot from beyond the arc and exploded for 20 points and five rebounds, shooting 8-of-16 from the field and 4-of-6 from three.

Michigan’s Syla Swords finished with a double-double of her own in the loss with a team-high 22 points and 10 rebounds. Brooke Daniels added eight points off the bench.

Here’s a recap of the Big Ten showdown between Iowa and Michigan:

Iowa pulls away to defeat Michigan 79-66

The Wolverines came within eight points of the Hawkeyes with 7:30 remaining in the game, but Iowa surged and closed the contest out on a 11-6 run to win 79-66. The Wolverines gave up 28 points on 16 turnovers.

End Q3: Iowa 64, Michigan 56

After trailing by as many as 21 points, Michigan went on a 24-11 run to cut their deficit to single digits. Iowa leads 64-56 heading into the fourth quarter. 

Syla Swords led the way scoring eight of her 18 points in the third quarter. She’s shooting 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-7 from three and is only two rebounds away from a double-double. Michigan’s bench has also impacted the game with 17 points, led by Brooke Daniel’s eight. 

The Wolverines’ run was spurred by four Hawkeyes’ turnovers in the third quarter. Sydney Affolter has a game-high 20 points, while Lucy Owens has 16 points. 

Halftime: Iowa 49, Michigan 32

It’s raining threes in the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Hawkeyes are collectively shooting 75% from beyond the arc (9-of-12) and head into the locker room with a 17-point lead over Michigan at halftime.

The first quarter belonged to Iowa’s Sydney Affolter, who had 14 points and four 3-pointers in the quarter, but the second quarter belonged to Lucy Olsen. Olsen didn’t attempt a shot in the first quarter, but then proceeded to drop 16 points in the second quarter, shooting 6-of-10 from the field and 4-of-4 from three.

Despite getting multiple looks at the basket with 9 offensive rebounds, the Wolverines struggled to secure the basketball and gave up 10 turnovers to the Hawkeyes, including six in the second quarter alone. Iowa converted the turnovers into 19 points. 

Michigan’s Syla Swords is on double-double watch with a team-high 10 points and six rebounds, while Jordan Hobbs added 7 points. Michigan is shooting 40.6% from the field and 4-of-15 from three. 

End Q1: Iowa 25, Michigan 18

The Iowa Hawkeyes have a 25-18 lead over the Michigan Wolverines after one quarter of play, thanks in part to Iowa guard Sydney Affolter. Affolter was red-hot in the first quarter and didn’t miss a shot, literally. She scored 14 points in the opening 10 minutes, shooting 5-of-5 from the field and 4-of-4 from three. Collectively, Iowa shot an impressive 66.7% from the field and 5-of-6 from three. 

Meanwhile, Syla Swords leads Michigan with 7 points. The Wolverines are shooting 50% from the field and 2-of-6 from three, but Michigan surrendered four turnovers for seven points to Iowa. 

How to watch Iowa vs. Michigan women’s basketball

  • Date: Wednesday, March 26
  • Time: 7 p.m. ET
  • Stream: Big Ten Plus
  • Location: Crisler Center (Ann Arbor, Michigan)

Watch Big Ten action with Big Ten Plus

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