Carnegie Has Big Night as Hawkeyes Roll Over Panthers

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Third-year Dani Carnegie eclipsed 1,000 career points with a season-high 22 points as the No. 10 University of Iowa women’s basketball team cruised past Northern Iowa, 78-40, Thursday night inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Hawkeyes (3-1) stifled the Panthers defensively, allowing just 11 first-half points, one above the program record for fewest points allowed in a half, while 10 Iowa players contributed to the scoring effort.

How It Happened

The Hawkeyes jumped out to an 18-5 lead in the opening quarter, with Carnegie opening the scoring on a fast-break layup off a steal by Chazadi ‘Chit-Chat’ Wright. Iowa closed the period on a 9-0 run, holding Northern Iowa scoreless over the final 4:11. Heiden sparked the run with a layup, followed by a transition 3-pointer from Wright. McKenna Woliczko and Carnegie added baskets to close the quarter. Woliczko grabbed five rebounds as Iowa shot 53.3 percent from the field.

Iowa broke the game open in the second quarter with a 15-0 run, extending its lead to 35-9. Heiden started the surge with a second-chance layup before Wright connected from beyond the arc. Carnegie added a transition 3-pointer, while Journey Houston and Woliczko contributed baskets during the run. The Hawkeyes outscored UNI 22-6 in the period, holding the Panthers to 11 first-half points, one above the program record for fewest points allowed in a half (10). Carnegie capped the half with a fast-break layup to reach 1,000 career points off a turnover with one second remaining, sending Iowa into the break with a 40-11 advantage.

The Hawkeyes continued to pull away in the third quarter, outscoring UNI 28-13 to take a 68-24 lead. Carnegie scored seven points in the opening five minutes of the half, while Heiden and Woliczko combined for five points in a 23-second stretch to extend Iowa’s advantage. Later in the quarter, Stremlow blocked a Panther layup before finding Faison for a transition 3-pointer. Faison scored all seven of her points in the quarter, matching her career high.

Iowa extended its lead to a game-high 46 points following a jumper from fourth-year Bria Medina with 4:02 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Hawkeyes went on to secure the 78-40 victory in front of 13,609 fans.

“I thought the way we started the game was excellent. I loved our defensive intensity in the first half. That was great. I thought both Dani and McKenna did a really nice job offensively, but the defensive intensity from the beginning was what stood out.”

“Dani let the game come to her a little bit more. There was only one shot she took tonight that I didn’t like. I thought she played well from the beginning, and both Dani and McKenna were bright spots offensively.”

“She [McKenna] has such a mature mindset and a championship mindset. She went into one of the toughest environments in women’s basketball at UConn, playing against Sarah Strong, who I believe will be one of the greats to ever play in college. That’s a tall order. After the game and in film the next day, McKenna’s mindset was about learning from the experience and figuring out what she needed to do better. She has a killer mindset, and I think that’s what will continue to propel her to become a tremendous collegiate player.”

Game Notes

• Iowa improved to 3-1 overall, including a 3-0 mark inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
• Iowa held Northern Iowa to 11 first-half points, one point above the school record for fewest points allowed in a half (10).
• The Hawkeyes limited UNI to five first-quarter points, the fewest allowed by Iowa in a quarter this season, and six points in the second quarter.
• Iowa held UNI to 25.5 percent shooting (14-of-55), including 21.7 percent (5-of-23) from 3-point range.
• The Hawkeyes forced 26 turnovers and scored 28 points off UNI miscues.
• Iowa registered 24 assists on 32 made field goals, surpassing its previous season high of 22 assists against Eastern Illinois.
• The Hawkeyes outscored UNI 42-14 in the paint and 22-0 in fast-break points.
• Iowa shot 55.2 percent (32-of-58) from the field, its highest percentage through four games this season.
• The Hawkeyes recorded 11 steals and three blocks.
• Iowa led 40-11 at halftime and extended its advantage to a game-high 46 points with 4:02 remaining in the fourth quarter.
• The Hawkeyes led for 37:47 and never trailed.
• Iowa has held three of its first four opponents to 45 points or fewer (Towson, Eastern Illinois and Northern Iowa).
• Third-year Dani Carnegie led Iowa with 22 points, six assists and four rebounds, shooting 9-of-13 (69.2 percent) from the field.
• Carnegie surpassed 1,000 collegiate career points and recorded her second 20-point performance as a Hawkeye.
• Third-year Ava Heiden finished with 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals, shooting 7-of-10 (70 percent) from the field.
• First-year McKenna Woliczko recorded 14 points and a career-high nine rebounds, shooting 6-of-9 from the field and 2-of-4 from 3-point range. Woliczko has scored in double figures in three of her first four collegiate games.
• Second-year Jocelyn Faison matched her career high with seven points, all coming in the third quarter. Faison added six rebounds and an assist.
• Third-year Chazadi ‘Chit-Chat’ Wright finished with six points and five assists, shooting 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.
• Second-year Journey Houston collected seven rebounds, two steals and a block.

Up Next

The Hawkeyes return to action Sunday, Nov. 15, facing No. 8 Vanderbilt at noon (CT) in Sioux City, Iowa. The matchup will air nationally on FS1. Iowa will then host Montana State on Thursday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m. inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The contest will stream on B1G+ (subscription required).