Iowa
3 things to watch as No. 22 Iowa women’s basketball closes non-conference vs. UNI

IOWA CITY — After four days off for the always-tricky in-season finals week, No. 22 Iowa women’s basketball is back in action Friday for its last non-conference test of Jan Jensen’s inaugural season.
It’s an important one inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, where the Hawkeyes (9-2) will face Northern Iowa (5-5) for a chance at another proverbial “state title.” Iowa has already toppled Drake and Iowa State this season, eyeing yet another in-state sweep.
Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on BTN+. Here are three things to watch ahead of Friday’s matchup.
The in-state games have been in Iowa’s favor recently. Can the Hawkeyes finish off another sweep?
A win Friday would give Iowa its sixth in-state sweep in the last eight seasons, with its only neighborly losses in that timeframe coming at Iowa State in December 2021 and at UNI in November 2019. The Hawkeyes haven’t suffered an in-state loss at Carver-Hawkeye Arena since Dec. 19, 2006, against the Panthers (83-62).
That’s the only time UNI has won in Iowa City, an impressive streak for the Hawkeyes given how pesky these in-state foes can be. Panthers coach Tanya Warren has leaned even heavier recently on in-state talent, and plenty of high school overlap will be on display again Friday.
Even as Iowa ascended into premier status the last two seasons, no one inside the program ever diminished the importance of these in-state matchups. Another tense matchup is seemingly on deck.
“It wouldn’t be a big deal to be a state champ if you were walking away with it and winning all these games by ease,” Jensen said. “I think that’s what makes the state championship in the state of Iowa more fun.”
After late defensive struggles at Michigan State, can the Hawkeyes regroup with super scorer Maya McDermott on the other side?
While Sunday’s 68-66 loss at Michigan State looks like a game without defensive struggles, Iowa’s inability to get stops in the fourth quarter initiated its downfall on the road. Thirteen of the Spartans’ 19 fourth-quarter points came from one player, as Nyla Hampton came somewhat out of nowhere to ignite the Michigan State rally.
The Hawkeyes can’t afford a similar one-woman takeover on Friday. Because if one does materialize, it’ll likely be Maya McDermott spearheading the charge toward another in-state upset.
The fifth-year guard from Johnston is clearly operating with that inevitable end-of-career urgency. McDermott enters as the nation’s ninth-leading scorer (21.9 ppg) and ranks 21st overall in 3-point percentage (46.43% on 26-for-56). Her teammate Kayba Laube, another in-state player from Marion, sits ahead of McDermott at 52.17% from deep (36-for-69), good for fourth nationally. UNI has more than enough offensive firepower to make serious noise Friday.
McDermott has saved some of her most dominant performances for the Panthers’ toughest foes. She ignited the Iowa State stunner with 37 points on 14-for-21 shooting, went for 29 in a one-point loss to Auburn and put up 23 points in a near upset of Creighton. Not matter how rowdy Carver-Hawkeye Arena gets, McDermott won’t be intimidated one bit.
Can these Hawkeyes show the necessary maturity to conquer the always-tough game-before-Christmas-break situation?
Every college basketball coach in the country can see it coming, the full week off for Christmas that can be just as problematic as enjoyable if not handled correctly. The game before the break can become a problem even when there’s little on-paper to suggest it will be.
Even last season’s veteran Iowa squad with Caitlin Clark at the controls needed a half to warm up against an inferior foe before the break. Iowa’s 98-69 win over Loyola (Chicago) on Dec. 21, 2023 saw the Hawkeyes lead by only five at halftime before taking off in the third quarter. Lisa Bluder’s halftime blowup that day was featured prominently on the “Full Court Press” documentary that highlighted Clark’s senior season.
What happened last season obviously has no direct bearing on this season. But if a more experienced team against a worse opponent can get somewhat tripped up on the pre-holiday challenge, the current Hawkeyes squad could definitely encounter similar vibes.
Conquer this one, though, and Iowa gets a well-earned reset without any negative cloud over the off week. That’ll be productive with a head-first plunge into a tough Big Ten up next.
Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.

Iowa
Iowa blizzard caused snow drifts so high on this highway it totally buried two cars

Iowa’s blizzard traps cars in snow on IA 141
Iowa’s blizzard left cars stranded in snow on IA 141, bringing winds up to 60mph.
Last week’s blizzard brought heavy snow to central and western Iowa, as some places saw as much as 9 inches of snow.
One area that felt the blizzard was on Iowa Highway 141 near Denison, as the Iowa DOT shared images of staff clearing out a snow drift in that area and discovered two vehicles buried in the snow along the road.
In another picture, you can see a ‘no passing’ sign almost fully emerged in the snow.
The drivers of the two vehicles were traveling on Iowa Highway 141, east of US 59 and south of Denison last Tuesday night, when the car in front slid into a ditch. This caused the car behind to swerve and collide with the vehicle in front, according to Andrea Henry, director of outreach for the Iowa Department of Transportation.
Henry said the Manning Fire Department was called Tuesday night, but due to blizzard conditions, they were unable to reach the vehicles. As a result, the Iowa DOT was notified and sent staff to the scene Wednesday, after the blizzard had subsided, to attempt to dig out the cars.
Henry said none of the drivers suffered injuries, and both were picked up by a Crawford County sheriff’s deputy on Tuesday night. She said Iowa Highway 141, stretching from Mapleton to Manning, is prone to snow drifts due to the landscape in that area.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
Iowa
Obituary for Christopher Clayton Jackson at Dahn & Woodhouse Funeral Home

Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes Star Sadly Plunges in New NFL Mock Draft

Iowa Hawkeyes star Jay Higgins did not exactly have a banner NFL Scouting Combine, as he ranked last among all linebackers in athleticism score.
That probably shouldn’t come as too much of a shock, as Higgins has never been known for his physical gifts, and many have felt that his lack of agility could cause him to struggle on the professional level.
But still, that does not make Higgins’ brutal showing at the Combine any less significant, and it is causing the 22-year-old’s NFL Draft stock to take quite a nosedive.
Prior to the Combine, there were actually some who had Higgins’ pegged as a potential Day 2 pick thanks to a brilliant last couple of seasons at Iowa, However, since his less than stellar athleticism was on full display in Indianapolis, Higgins is falling fast in mock drafts.
As a matter of fact, Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network’s most recent mock has Higgins falling all the way to the seventh round, where he goes 232nd to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Is there really a chance that Higgins could drop that far or potentially even go undrafted next month?
It would actually be a complete shock if the Indianapolis native didn’t hear his name called in the draft, and I would even go as far to say that it would be surprising if he fell to the seventh round.
Higgins has an outstanding motor, a great nose for the ball and a very impressive football IQ, all of which certainly compensates for his questionable physical talent.
But perhaps teams will be scared away by Higgins’ pedestrian speed and short arms. We’ll see what happens in the coming weeks.
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