Iowa closes regular season with its 32nd consecutive win over Wisconsin, 81-52

Note: This story was written in Iowa.

This one was for the natives.

Teagan Mallegni and Taylor Stremlow enjoyed the happiest of homecomings when No. 9 Iowa blistered Wisconsin 81-52 in the Big Ten women’s basketball regular-season finale for both teams Sunday afternoon at Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.

Mallegni, who grew up in nearby McFarland, hit double digits for the first time this season, scoring 10 points.

Stremlow, from just-as-nearby Verona, flirted with her second consecutive double-double, finishing with 12 points and nine assists.

Iowa (24-5 overall, 15-3 Big Ten) won its sixth consecutive game, beat Wisconsin for the 32nd straight time and finished in a second-place tie along with Michigan in the Big Ten standings.

“A lot of people doubted us, and we proved that we have a really good team,” sophomore guard Chit-Chat Wright said.

The Hawkeyes will be a 2-seed in the Big Ten tournament and will open with a quarterfinal game against an opponent to be determined at 5:30 p.m. (CT) Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis.

Michigan State will be the 7-seed, Illinois the 10, Wisconsin the 15. Iowa will play one of those three teams Friday.

Wisconsin (13-16, 5-13) led for a good amount of the first half, but the Hawkeyes held a 33-29 lead at halftime, then blew the doors off the Badgers in the second half.

“We got a little more versatile. The guards hit a few open shots, and that opened it up for everybody,” Iowa Coach Jan Jensen said.

Iowa scored the first 11 points of the third quarter, ignited by 3-pointers by Kylie Feuerbach and Wright. That triggered a 26-9 quarter for the Hawkeyes, who led 59-38 by the end of the period.

Mallegni’s final basket gave the Hawkeyes a 31-point lead, their largest of the game.

The Hawkeyes were without senior Hannah Stuelke, who suffered an elbow injury in Thursday’s win over Illinois.

Stuelke is listed as day-to-day, with the hopes of having her back in time for the Big Ten tournament.

Ava Heiden led the Hawkeyes with 16 points (on 8-of-11 shooting) and 14 rebounds. Heiden scored 10 points in the first quarter.

Wright added 14 points and Layla Hays tallied 10 to complement the two Wisconsinites’ double-digit efforts.

Iowa shot 53 percent from the field (35 of 66) and compiled 25 assists to seven turnovers.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com