Following Thursday night’s upset loss at USC, eighth-ranked Iowa made the 13.7-mile cross-town trip to take on second-ranked UCLA. The Hawkeyes came up short, 88-65, finishing their trip to Los Angeles with an 0-2 record.
The Bruins owned the paint throughout all four quarters, outscoring Iowa by 30 points in the key area. Ava Heiden led Iowa’s scorers with 19 points—all coming in the second half. The second-year player scored all but three of the Hawkeyes’ third-quarter points. Hannah Stuelke added 13 points, while Taylor Stremlow contributed 12 points. Chit-Chat Wright provided 10 points and six assists.
After leading 5-2 early in the game, Iowa’s advantage quickly faded and became a distant memory. UCLA came out firing offensively, putting up 13 points by the halfway mark of the first quarter. Impressively, all six field goals made by the Bruins to that point were in the paint.
Iowa’s defense stiffened in the latter half of the first quarter, limiting UCLA to just 17 points by the quarter’s end. The Hawkeyes, however, struggled with unforced errors, turning the ball over five times early on.
Things took a turn midway through the second quarter. While trailing 25-18, Hannah Stuelke was called for a flagrant one foul after swinging her arm into the neck of UCLA’s Angel Dugalic. UCLA capitalized on the call by sinking both free throws and then going on a 9-3 run, extending their biggest lead of the game to 34-21.
Despite the deficit, Iowa chipped away and cut the lead to just eight points with 26 seconds left in the half. However, UCLA’s Gianna Kneepkens drained a three-pointer at the buzzer, pushing the Bruins’ lead back to 39-28 at halftime.
Both teams committed nine turnovers in the first half, but UCLA’s dominance in the paint—scoring 28 points compared to Iowa’s 10—and their superior shooting percentage (55% to Iowa’s 38%) were decisive factors in building the 11-point halftime lead.
Heiden came alive in the second half, scoring Iowa’s first ten points after a scoreless first half. Despite her strong offensive showing, Iowa could not match UCLA’s offensive pace. The Bruins extended their lead as large as 22 points during the third quarter on an 11-0 run.
It wasn’t until just 2:52 remained in the third quarter that an Iowa player other than Heiden scored. UCLA maintained control in the fourth quarter, never allowing the Hawkeyes to get closer than 13 points. The Bruins cruised to victory, leading by as much as 27 points.
The absence of Taylor McCabe was once again felt on Iowa’s offense. As a team, the Hawkeyes shot only 5-of-21 (24%) from beyond the arc. In their last two games without McCabe, Iowa has combined to shoot 12-of-42 from three-point range.
With this loss, Iowa remains third in the Big Ten conference standings, trailing UCLA and Michigan.
### Up Next
Iowa returns home to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to face Minnesota on Thursday, Feb. 5, at 6 p.m. on the Big Ten Network. The Gophers hold a 16-6 overall record and rank seventh in the Big Ten with a 7-4 conference mark. Junior guard Grace Grocholski leads Minnesota with 13.7 points per game.
The Hawkeyes will look to bounce back after dropping two consecutive games for the first time this season. Iowa leads the all-time series between the two schools, 60-27, and won their most recent meeting 68-60 last February in Minneapolis.
https://dailyiowan.com/2026/02/01/iowa-womens-basketball-crushed-by-ucla-finishes-west-coast-trip-winless/
