The No. 12 Iowa Hawkeyes returned to Carver-Hawkeye Arena with a renewed sense of confidence after conquering Michigan last Saturday amidst an uber-competitive Big Ten. With the season at the halfway point and where every win matters, the Hawkeyes came home to take on the unranked Northwestern Wildcats, who had won the last two contests at Carver. In their first home game of the new year, Iowa knows they have to work for every second to remain in good standing both conference-wise and nation-wise.
From the opening bell, it was the Wildcats who wasted no time in getting out on a quick run. Through the first three minutes of the game, they jumped to an 8-3 lead with some good shooting and decent ball movement. Much of that was attributed to Iowa still getting a feel for the game and pushing the ball too quickly, which resulted in two quick turnovers. Six of those points came from guard/forward and graduate student Sydney Wood and sophomore forward Caileigh Walsh.
But as the quarter reached the halfway point, the Hawkeyes were starting to make some inroads. At the 4:49 minute mark, the Hawkeyes claimed their first lead of the game, 12-10, on a driving layup by McKenna Warnock.
As the quarter started to rapidly wind down with neither side calling a timeout, the game started…
