Heiden scores 15 as sixth-seeded Iowa routs No. 11 Murray State 92-57 in first round

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Freshman Ava Heiden scored a career-high 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and sixth-seeded Iowa rolled past No. 11 seed Murray State 92-57 on Saturday in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Heiden hadn’t scored in double figures all season until Iowa’s final two games in the Big Ten Tournament. Still, March Madness was different.

“This is the first time Ava and company, the young kids, have been on the biggest stage,” Iowa coach Jan Jensen said. “She just kind of locked in that next level. We challenged her and she really answered it.”

Lucy Olsen had 12 points and a career-high 12 assists for the Hawkeyes (23-10). They scored a season high in points in the first tournament win for Jensen, a longtime assistant who was promoted after Lisa Bluder retired.

“I’m just really grateful to get this first win. Any time you can survive and advance in any tournament ... when you get to do it in the NCAA, it feels special,” Jensen said. “So I’m really thankful.”

Iowa will play third-seeded Oklahoma on Monday for a spot in the Sweet 16. The Sooners defeated No. 14 Florida Gulf Coast 81-58 in the other game at the Lloyd Noble Center on Saturday.

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Murray State’s Katelyn Young, who averaged 22.2 points heading into the tournament, left the game early in the third quarter with an ankle injury and did not return. Iowa led 42-30 when the 6-foot-1 forward was injured and outscored the Racers 50-27 the rest of the way.

The fifth-year senior finished with six points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes.

“I’ve had great years here,” Young said. “All of my teammates are amazing. I love them, and I’m glad I went out on this year.”

Halli Poock scored 15 points and Ava Learn added eight points and 10 rebounds before fouling out for Murray State (25-8). The Racers, who entered the game averaging a nation-leading 87.8 points per game, shot just 30.6% from the field and posted their lowest point total of the season.

Hannah Stuelke, Iowa’s No. 2 scorer for the season, committed two quick fouls and sat for most of the first half. Heiden picked up the slack, reaching a career high in scoring by halftime with 13 points. The Hawkeyes led 42-30 at the break, then dominated in the second half.

Takeaways

Murray State: Young shot 1 for 7 from the field before her injury. The Hawkeyes bothered her with 6-4 Heiden, 6-2 Stuelke and 6-4 Addi O’Grady.

“Yeah, they were denying me everywhere,” Young said. “I tried to get post-ups, touches at the elbow and things like that, and they were denying, probably not like they usually do. Yeah, the game plan was definitely try to keep the ball out of my hands.”

The Racers couldn’t get their other players going because they couldn’t control the pace.

Iowa: The Hawkeyes’ 92 points came despite shooting just four free throws and making two. Any concerns about being able to score in their first NCAA Tournament game without Caitlin Clark since 2019 were put to rest.

Young’s injury

Young tried to run after coming out of the game but grimaced and shook her head, then realized she couldn’t go.

Murray State coach Rechelle Turner told her it was OK.

“I said: ‘You don’t owe me another minute. You don’t owe me anything. You’ve given this program everything,’” she said. “That’s truly how I feel about it. I mean, she really changed the projection of this program, and she stuck with us when it was hard.”

Earlier in the game, Young passed Tennessee’s Chamique Holdsclaw and moved into 14th place on the all-time Division I women’s scoring list. She finished with 3,029 career points.

Key moment

Stuelke made the first and missed the second of two free throws. Iowa’s Sydney Affolter got the rebound, then Olsen found Kylie Feuerbach for a 3-pointer that gave the Hawkeyes a 47-30 lead.

Key stat

Iowa shot 64.7% in the second quarter and 68.4% in the third to seize control.

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