No. 24 Hawkeyes hold off Rhode Island in Cancun Challenge

Under the tropical sun in paradise wasn’t really the place Iowa women’s basketball wanted to experience its first major adversity of the season. But here the Hawkeyes were missing their starting point guard for the Cancun Challenge opener.

The No. 24 Hawkeyes lost Lucy Olsen with a severe cut on her knee after she tripped during practice and had to navigate a Rhode Island squad that shouldn’t have been that troublesome. However, Iowa earned a 69-62 victory on Thanksgiving at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in Cancun, Mexico.

The Hawkeyes (7-0) entered the game as a nearly 30-point favorite, but with Olsen missing, the drama on the scoreboard continued well into the second half. Iowa trailed by one at halftime and held a 49-49 lead after three quarters before eventually pulling away in the final 10 quarters.

A 12-0 run at the start of the fourth period finally provided the necessary lead, with Addi O’Grady dropping eight consecutive points in three minutes. Her team-high 18, paired with 13 from Hannah Stuelke and 12 from Kylie Feuerbach, made up for Olsen’s absence.

The loss of a senior starting point guard is bound to cause some turmoil, and Iowa saw a lot through three quarters. Different lineup combinations abounded — most notably Taylor Stremlow in the starting lineup and an extra run for Aaliyah Guyton — but Iowa’s defense remained razor-sharp until the offense finally found its footing.

Rhode Island (4-4) didn’t score until nearly three minutes left in the fourth quarter as the Hawkeyes flirted with holding another opponent under 60 points. Although this matchup was not viewed as an obvious generator of misfortune, Iowa handled the sudden change well.

As for Olsen’s status, Iowa coach Jan Jensen said on the pregame radio show that it will be a “game by game” situation until she returns. Iowa has one more game in Cancun (Friday vs. BYU) and then a week off before facing Tennessee in Brooklyn on Dec. 7.

“We were getting ready for practice when she just tripped, jumped off the ground and hit a ledge. She had a pretty bad wound on her knee,” Jensen said on the pre-game radio show. “Luckily we had some team documents with us and took care of it.

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