USC Trojans Upset Iowa Hawkeyes In Big Ten Showdown

On a chilly Wednesday night in Los Angeles, the Galen Center was buzzing with anticipation as the Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team took the court for their first game of a California road swing. But what was meant to be another step in Iowa’s dominant Big Ten campaign turned into a night of frustration, as the USC Trojans handed the Hawkeyes their first conference loss of the season in a decisive 81-69 upset.

Coming into the matchup, Iowa boasted an 18-2 record and a perfect 9-0 mark in Big Ten play, their only setbacks coming in non-conference action. The Hawkeyes had also recently been forced to adapt after losing senior guard Taylor McCabe to a season-ending torn ACL just four days earlier. Head coach Jan Jensen acknowledged before tipoff that her team was still adjusting, and that challenge became evident from the opening minutes.

USC, meanwhile, entered the game with a modest 11-9 overall record and a 3-6 mark in conference play, but the Trojans were determined to make a statement on their home floor. They did just that, jumping out to a 5-2 lead as Iowa coughed up three turnovers in the first two and a half minutes. The Hawkeyes’ offense looked out of rhythm, struggling to get the ball inside as USC’s defense packed the paint and forced Iowa’s post threats, Hannah Stuelke and Ava Heiden, out of their comfort zone.

Stuelke, who had been a steady presence inside all season, picked up two fouls within the first three minutes and was sent to the bench. That early foul trouble forced Jensen to shuffle her rotation, and the Trojans took full advantage. By the end of the first quarter, USC had built a 28-13 lead, fueled by nine points off seven Iowa turnovers. The Trojans’ aggressive defense and hot shooting from deep set the tone, while Iowa’s offense sputtered.

“USC did a great job dictating the pace of play and disrupting our flow,” Jensen said during a first-quarter timeout, hoping to calm her rattled squad. But the Trojans weren’t about to let up. Senior guard Kara Dunn was electric, scoring in a variety of ways and finishing with a game-high 25 points. Freshman sensation Jazzy Davidson added 21 more, and the pair combined for a barrage of three-pointers that kept Iowa at bay all night.

Despite the early struggles, Iowa showed signs of life late in the second quarter. Kylie Feuerbach drilled a crucial three-pointer to open the frame, and Taylor Stremlow caught fire off the bench, scoring all 11 of her first-half points in the period. A quick 10-2 run, punctuated by a Stremlow step-back three and a Heiden layup, trimmed the deficit to just six at halftime, 43-37. Suddenly, the Hawkeyes were back within striking distance, and the momentum in the building shifted ever so slightly.

The third quarter began with renewed energy from Iowa. Stuelke, reinserted after her early foul trouble, grabbed quick rebounds and scored four points to help the Hawkeyes cut the lead to three. Journey Houston, who finished with 12 points, made her presence felt on both ends, capitalizing on passes from Chazadi Wright and Stremlow. The Hawkeyes looked poised to complete the comeback, but as quickly as the tide turned, USC snatched it back.

With 6:30 left in the third, both Davidson and Stuelke picked up their third fouls, but USC responded with an 11-0 run that pushed the lead back to double digits. The Trojans’ relentless pressure forced more Iowa turnovers, and their transition game was lethal, racking up 20 fastbreak points compared to Iowa’s 10. By the end of the third quarter, USC had ballooned their lead to 63-49, and the Hawkeyes’ hopes were fading fast.

“We just couldn’t get stops when we needed them,” Jensen admitted postgame. “Every time we made a run, USC answered with a big shot or a key defensive play.”

The fourth quarter was more of the same, as USC continued to pour it on from beyond the arc. Londynn Jones, the Trojans’ third-leading scorer on the night, hit clutch shots to keep Iowa at arm’s length. Iowa’s offense, which had been so potent all season, went cold at the worst possible time. Stuelke finished with a quiet 10 points and just one rebound, while Heiden led the team with 13 points and eight boards. Addie Deal, making her first start in McCabe’s absence, struggled to find her rhythm and was held scoreless.

The Hawkeyes’ turnover woes persisted, finishing with 13 giveaways that led directly to 19 USC points. On the other side, the Trojans were nearly flawless with the ball, committing just one turnover in the first half and maintaining composure throughout. The absence of McCabe was felt not only in Iowa’s offensive execution but also in their backcourt depth, as the Hawkeyes were also without Emely Rodriguez, who missed her 15th consecutive game, and Jada Gyamfi, still recovering from a knee procedure.

USC was missing key contributors as well, including junior guard Malia Samuels and star JuJu Watkins, who is sitting out the 2025-26 season as she recovers from a torn ACL suffered last March. But the Trojans’ depth and determination carried them past a shorthanded but still dangerous Iowa squad.

The loss drops Iowa to 18-3 overall and 9-1 in Big Ten play, snapping their perfect conference record and serving as a wake-up call ahead of a crucial matchup with UCLA in a few days. “It’s not a season-ending loss by any stretch,” Jensen said. “But it’s certainly a performance we’d like to have back.”

For USC, the victory improves their record to 12-9 overall and 4-6 in the Big Ten, and gives the Trojans a signature win to build on as the season enters its stretch run. The all-time series now stands at 5-2 in favor of Iowa, but on this night, it was all about the Trojans’ resilience and execution.

As the final buzzer sounded and the Galen Center crowd erupted, it was clear that USC had earned every bit of this upset. Iowa, meanwhile, will have to regroup quickly as the conference slate rolls on. If Wednesday’s battle was any indication, the road ahead in the Big Ten is as unpredictable as ever.