Now, the schedule turns and it gets real for Iowa women’s basketball

IOWA CITY — Kylie Feuerbach went from “day-to-day” to defensive hero.

“Adrenaline helped,” the Iowa women’s basketball senior said Wednesday. “So did ibuprofen.”

After missing three games due to an ankle injury, Feuerbach was the stopper that the Hawkeyes needed Sunday to help swing the tide and avoid a painful loss at Indiana.

She helped cool Shay Ciezki, limiting to her to two second-half points after a 19-point pre-intermission eruption. That enabled Iowa to rally from a 16-point deficit.

“It was really nice after three weeks away,” Feuerbach said. “Great to be back out there.”

For the 11th-ranked Hawkeyes (14-2 overall, 5-0 Big Ten), the conference schedule is about to transition from a feather to an anvil. They host Oregon (14-4, 2-3) at 8 p.m. Thursday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Then it’s four ranked opponents in the five-game stretch — Michigan State, Maryland, Ohio State, USC and UCLA — two at home, three on the road.

Eleven of Iowa’s last 13 regular-season games are against NCAA tournament hopefuls.

“Every game is hard for a different reason,” Iowa Coach Jan Jensen said. “Every game counts the same; there are just different degrees of difficulty.

“If you don’t win the first one, you’re having a different conversation about the next one. It would become pivotal for a different reason.”

This one is pivotal because a win keeps the Hawkeyes at the top of the league standings; they share first place with UCLA heading into the Bruins’ game Wednesday at Minnesota.

“We’re taking one game at a time,” sophomore guard Chit-Chat Wright said. “We’re not looking past any team. Every game is going to be a dogfight.”

The Hawkeyes certainly learned that in their last two encounters. Northwestern hung with them for most of the game before Iowa prevailed, 67-58, Jan. 5 at Evanston.

Six days later, Indiana threw a giant scare into the Hawkeyes.

Both Northwestern and Indiana are winless in the Big Ten.

However, Feuerbach’s return means that Iowa’s roster is probably as close to full strength as it’s going to be; Jensen said that Emely Rodriguez remains day-to-day.

“Kylie brings a lot, a lot of things that other people don’t like to do,” Wright said.

If your eyes wander during the national anthem, you’ll notice that Wright stands between 6-foot-5 Layla Hays and 6-foot-4 Ava Heiden.

Wright stands 5-4. Maybe.

“It’s just really fun,” Wright said. “They’re the two giants on the team. I aspire to be that tall.”

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com