IOWA CITY, Iowa– A rockin’ Carver-Hawkeye Arena combined with nonstop grit, hustle and tenacity equals a top-10 win for the Hawkeyes as they defeat No. 6 Michigan 62-44.
Michigan’s suffocating full-court defense was one of the main storylines heading into Sunday’s game, and that was exactly what happened. The Wolverines forced five turnovers in the first five minutes, including four steals. Their press and hands-on defense gave Iowa fits as the Hawkeyes tried to run their offense. Taylor Stremlow’s triple with 4:59 remaining in the first quarter broke Iowa’s cold offensive spell as they trailed 8–6 at the first timeout.
Both offenses were suffocated by pressure-filled defenses and a lack of quality shots. Michigan turned it over 11 times through the first 10 minutes compared to Iowa’s eight in that same stretch. Ashley Sofilkanich was a problem early for the Hawkeyes as she totaled five points and five rebounds to help Michigan stay tied at 12 through the first quarter…