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Iowa women's basketball vs. Eastern Illinois: Final score, highlights
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- Iowa women's basketball vs. Eastern Illinois: Final score, highlights
The Iowa women's basketball team is off to a 2-0 start this season.
They put together their best game of the season on Thursday night, crushing Eastern Illinois 80-39 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The main story of this game was Iowa's defense. They forced 27 Eastern Illinois turnovers, which turned into 30 points. The Panthers shot just 32% from the field. The Hawkeyes' defense was stifling.
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Offensively, five-star freshman McKenna Woliczko was outstanding. She finished with a game-high 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting. She was 4-for-6 from behind the arc, showcasing a smooth three-point stroke.
Elsewhere, Ava Heiden had an efficient 15 points and eight rebounds. Dani Carnegie had 12 points and seven boards. And Amari Whiting was everywhere. The Oklahoma State transfer had four points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and six steals in this game.
Iowa shot 44% from the field and 9-for-28 from the three-point range. They outrebounded the Panthers 44-25 and dished out 22 assists. On both sides of the ball, the Hawkeyes completely dominated and head into the weekend feeling good. They'll head on the road to take on UCONN this Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT on FS1.
Take a look back through the highlights below:
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Iowa vs. Eastern Illinois score
| Quarter |
Q1 |
Q2 |
Q3 |
Q4 |
Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Illinois |
10 |
8 |
12 |
9 |
39 |
| Iowa |
17 |
27 |
16 |
20 |
80 |
FINAL: Iowa 80, Eastern Illinois 39
09:50 PM ET, November 5 2026, Zach Hiney
Hawks win!! Iowa dominates from start to finish in a lopsided win over Eastern Illinois. The defense and McKenna Woliczko are the highlights from tonight. Iowa forced an astounding 27 turnovers, which led to 30 points. Woliczko had a game-high 22 points to lead the way for a balanced Hawkeye attack. A huge road game against UCONN awaits on Sunday afternoon.
Top performers:
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McKenna Woliczko- 22 points, 9-for-12 FG, 4-for-6 3PT
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Ava Heiden- 15 points, 8 rebounds, 7-for-8 FG
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Dani Carnegie- 12 points, 7 rebounds
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Amari Whiting- 4 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 steals
6:17 4Q: Iowa 70, Eastern Illinois 30
09:39 PM ET, November 5 2026, Zach Hiney
The Hawks have started the fourth quarter on a 10-0 run to put some real distance between themselves and the Panthers. McKenna Woliczko, Dani Carnegie, and Chit-Chat Wright have each hit a three in the frame. Woliczko has a game-high 19 points. The only struggle tonight for Iowa has been the three-point shooting. They've addressed that early and often to begin the final quarter of this game.
END 3Q: Iowa 60, Eastern Illinois 30
09:28 PM ET, November 5 2026, Zach Hiney
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The Hawkeyes have taken care of business through three quarters. Despite shooting just 44% from the field and 24% from behind the arc, Iowa has dominated this game through its defense. They've forced 21 Panther turnovers tonight, leading to 25 points. Eastern Illinois is just 9-for-27 from the field.
Offensively, all nine Hawkeyes who have played have scored. Freshman forward McKenna Woliczko leads the way with 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting. Ava Heiden has 12 points, and Dani Carnegie has pitched in nine points of her own. This has been a great performance for the home team.
4:49 3Q: Iowa 51, Eastern Illinois 20
09:13 PM ET, November 5 2026, Zach Hiney
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Iowa's offense is off to a slow start this quarter, but their defense has more than made up for it. The Hawkeyes have forced another six turnovers in the third, holding the Panthers to just two points. McKenna Woliczko has five points in the quarter and a team-high 16 in the game. She's hit both of Iowa's threes tonight. The Hawkeyes are just 2-for-13 from behind the arc.
HALFTIME: Iowa 44, Eastern Illinois 18
08:49 PM ET, November 5 2026, Zach Hiney
Iowa's defense has been the story tonight, forcing 13 turnovers already. It's allowing them to get out in transition and find easy buckets. After a slow first few minutes, the Hawkeyes have dominated this game in every facet. Outside of the three-point shooting (1-for-8 in the first half), Jan Jensen has a lot to like from the opening 20 minutes. Her team is 20 minutes away from a 2-0 start.
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Top first-half performers:
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McKenna Woliczko- 11 points, 3 rebounds, 5-for-7 FG
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Ava Heiden- 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 6-for-7 FG
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Dani Carnegie- 6 points, 4 rebounds
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Amari Whiting- 2 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals
5:55 2Q: Iowa 27, Eastern Illinois 13
08:34 PM ET, November 5 2026, Zach Hiney
The Hawkeyes are finding a rhythm in this second quarter. They've outscored the Panthers 10-3 in the opening minutes of the frame. McKenna Woliczko is the first player in the game to reach double figures, with 11 points already. Iowa has forced 11 Eastern Illinois turnovers, and they're starting to establish some dominance on both sides of the court.
Six different players have scored for Iowa, which is showcasing the depth that makes them a threat in the Big Ten this season.
END 1Q: Iowa 17, Eastern Illinois 10
08:24 PM ET, November 5 2026, Zach Hiney
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Dani Carnegie beats the buzzer to add to the lead as the quarter comes to an end! McKenna Woliczko is off to a fast start for the Hawks, with seven first-quarter points. Ava Heiden has four points and three boards in the opening frame. Carnegie has done a bit of everything, with four points, four rebounds, and an assist.
Iowa is shooting 40% from the field and has knocked down one three. They also forced six Eastern Illinois turnovers and held the Panthers to 25% shooting. It's a decent start for the home team.
6:52 1Q: Iowa 5, Eastern Illinois 2
08:09 PM ET, November 5 2026, Zach Hiney
It's another sluggish start for the home team in this one. On the bright side, McKenna Woliczko got the Hawkeyes on the board with a three-pointer. She has all five points early on. However, Iowa is just 2-for-8 from the field and has two turnovers. Their defense is off to a good start, though, holding the Panthers to 1-for-5 shooting from the field.
Starting lineup
07:56 PM ET, November 5 2026, Zach Hiney
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PG:Chit-Chat Wright
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SG:Dani Carnegie
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SF:Amari Whiting
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PF:McKenna Woliczko
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C:Ava Heiden
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How to watch Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball vs. Eastern Illinois
07:00 PM ET, November 5 2026
Watch Iowa vs. Eastern Illinois
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Date:Thursday, Nov. 5
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Time:7 p.m. CT
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Live stream:B1G+
Collin Carrithers, Morgan Burhans, and Megan Heine will have the call of tonight's game. Fans can also tune in to Rob Brooks (play-by-play) and Kathryn Reynolds (color) on the Hawkeye Radio Network .
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa women's basketball vs. Eastern Illinois: Final score, highlights
