Heiden, Stuelke lead No. 21 Iowa women to 86-51 opening win over Southern

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Ava Heiden scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Hannah Stuelke added 20 points with nine boards, and No. 21 Iowa topped Southern 86-51 on Monday to open the season.

After a slow start the Hawkeyes steadily pulled away, shooting 52% despite going 4 of 18 on 3-pointers. They were 22 of 28 from the foul line and had a 52-21 rebounding advantage but had 24 turnovers.

Emely Rodriguez had 13 points off the bench for Iowa.

Zaria Hurston scored 14 points to lead the Jaguars.

Four different Jaguars hit 3-points in the first quarter and they only trailed 15-14 but Heiden had back-to-back three-point plays in a 17-0 run to help the Hawkeyes to a 37-24 lead at the half.

Iowa shot 43% despite missing all 10 3-point attempts and went 13 of 17 from the foul line. Heiden had 15 points, going 5 of 8 from the field and the line.

Iowa plays its first game against a Power 4 conference team on Nov. 20 at the WBCA Showcase, facing Baylor.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

Heiden, Stuelke lead No. 21 Iowa women to 86-51 opening win over Southern | iNFOnews.ca
Iowa guard Kylie Feuerbach (4) dribbles as Southern guard Mykayla Cunningham (8) defends during an NCAA college basketball game in Iowa City, Iowa, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette via AP)
Heiden, Stuelke lead No. 21 Iowa women to 86-51 opening win over Southern | iNFOnews.ca
Iowa Hawkeyes forward Hannah Stuelke (45) shoots the ball against a Southern player during an NCAA college basketball game in Iowa City, Iowa, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette via AP)

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