Hannah Stuelke’s late free throws, Kylie Feuerbach’s drawn charge clinch Iowa win

IOWA CITY — Senior speeches? Those came Sunday.

This was about senior moments.

Like game-clinching free throws from Hannah Stuelke. And a charge drawn by Kylie Feuerbach.

“I’m so happy,” Iowa Coach Jan Jensen said. “They willed us.”

Down by six points early in the fourth quarter, No. 9 Iowa made the plays at the end — on both ends — and fought past Illinois 82-78 in a Big Ten women’s basketball game before a crowd of 14,998 Thursday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that I saw their eyes light up again,” Jensen said.

Just in time.

The fourth quarter contained seven lead changes, the final on Chit-Chat Wright’s two free throws (her first points of the game) to put Iowa (23-5 overall, 14-3 Big Ten) in front 75-73 with 1:00 to go.

The Hawkeyes led 77-75 when Stuelke — a 60-percent career free throw shooter — went to the line with 15 seconds left.

Swish. And swish.

“I’m proud of her,” Taylor Stremlow said. “It’s a testament to all the work she’s put in.”

Jensen said, “I’m thrilled for Hannah because she works on them. If she misses, I could get hammered. If she makes them, ‘Oh, such a moment.’”

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“We have some sets for those situations in which we don’t have Hannah in there, but sometime you’ve got to go with your gut.”

Wright hit a pair of foul shots to make it 81-78 with 0:09 to go, then Feuerbach drew a charging foul on Destiny Jackson (her fifth).

Stuelke iced it at the other end, and Iowa moved back into a second-place tie in the Big Ten standings with one game to go — Sunday afternoon at Wisconsin.

If the Hawkeyes win (and they’ve beaten the Badgers 31 straight times), they’ll be the 2-seed at the Big Ten tournament next week in Indianapolis.

The reigning Big Ten player of the week, Ava Heiden led the Hawkeyes with 28 points (on 13-of-18 shooting), 12 in the fourth quarter.

Two of those baskets were made possible by high-low feeds from Stuelke.

“She’s such a good passer,” Heiden said. “It’s so fun working that inside game with her.”

Stuelke came back from an early injury to her arm and added 18 points.

Iowa had 26 assists, 11 from Stremlow, who also scored 11 points (her first career double-double). Journey Houston provided nine points and eight boards.

The Hawkeyes shot to a 10-0 lead, then Illinois (19-9, 9-8) scored the next nine and it was back and forth the rest of the way. It was 35-35 at halftime, 56-56 after three quarters.

Berry Wallace led the Illini with 21 points, and Cearah Parchment added 20 points and 12 rebounds.

Aaliyah Guyton, who played her first season at Iowa before transferring to Champaign, tallied 11.

Iowa 82, Illinois 78

At Iowa City

ILLINOIS (78): Berry Wallace 7-19 4-4 21, Cearah Parchment 9-13 0-0 20, Aaliya Guyton 4-6 1-1 11, Destiny Jackson 2-7 2-2 6, Jasmine Brown-Hagger 6-9 0-1 15, Maddie Webber 2-3 0-0 5, Lety Vasconcelos 0-0 0-0 0, Hayven Smith 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-57 7-8 78.

IOWA (82): Hannah Stuelke 7-13 4-6 18, Ava Heiden 13-18 2-2 28, Taylor Stremlow 5-7 1-1 11, Kylie Feuerbach 2-6 0-0 6, Chit-Chat Wright 0-4 4-4 4, Journey Houston 4-6 1-2 9, Addie Deal 1-2 1-1 3, Layla Hays 1-1 1-2 3, Callie Levin 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 33-57 14-18 82.

Illinois 17 18 21 22 — 78

Iowa 20 15 21 26 — 82

3-point goals: Illinois 11-19 (Wallace 3-7, Parchment 2-4, Guyton 2-4, Brown-Hagger 3-3, Webber 1-1), Iowa 2-7 (Stremlow 0-2, Feuerbach 2-4, Wright 0-1). Team fouls: Illinois 18, Iowa 16. Fouled out: Jackson. Rebounds: Illinois 26 (Parchment 12), Iowa 29 (Houston 8). Assists: Illinois 13 (Jackson 6), Iowa 26 (Stremlow 11). Steals: Illinois 4 (Parchment 2), Iowa 8 (Stuelke, Feuerbach 2). Turnovers: Illinois 14, Iowa 11.

Attendance: 14,998.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com