Iowa

UConn wows with program-record 20 3s in win

Published

1 year ago

December 18, 2024

UConn wows with program-record 20 3s in win

Alexa Philippou, ESPNDec 18, 2024, 12:12 AM ET
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- Covers women’s college basketball and the WNBA
- Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant
- Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati Enquirer

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — No. 4 UConn sank a program-record 20 3-pointers in a 101-68 rout of Iowa State on Tuesday night in the second game of the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase doubleheader.

The Huskies comfortably surpassed their previous season high of 14 3-pointers, converting 58.8% of their attempts (20 of 34) against the Cyclones, who were 8 of 25 from deep.

“Basketball is a make-shot, miss-shot game, and they made a lot of them, and that’s to their credit. They’re a great team,” Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly said. “They play the game the right way. So just nothing we could do to stop it.

“The way they shot the ball was unlike something I’ve seen in a long time.”

UConn sophomore Ashlynn Shade had seven 3-pointers en route to 27 points, both career highs.

“I really didn’t expect this. I thought we would have a difficult time,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “I said, ‘We need to win the 3-point battle by quite a few because they make nine a game.’

“When the basket looks big early on, the basket just gets bigger as the game goes on, and for some players, they make their first two or three, they think they can make the next 23.”

Shade was 6 of 6 from beyond the arc in the first quarter, scoring 20 points.

“It means everything to be a part of something that’s so big, being part of UConn history,” said Shade, who finished 7 of 10 from deep. “It’s just super surreal.”

The Huskies also got a quintet of 3s from freshman Sarah Strong (5 of 9, career-high 29 points) and senior Paige Bueckers (5 of 7, 27 points).

It marked the first time in the past 25 seasons that UConn had three players with at least 25 points in the same game. No other Division I team has had a trio of players do that this season.

Bueckers, Shade and Strong are also the first Division I trio with at least 25 points and five 3-pointers apiece in the same game over the past 25 seasons.

Freshman Allie Ziebell notched UConn’s 19th 3-pointer to set the program record (previously set in 2014-15 and 2008-09) with 3:19 left in the game, before classmate Morgan Cheli made No. 20 with 2:04 to go.

“It would have been a bad game of H-O-R-S-E the way they were knocking them in,” Fennelly said.

Added Shade: “It was just super cool to be a part of and just such a fun game to play.”

The 3-point outburst from Shade in particular was welcomed, giving the Huskies a third major scorer. They’ve missed that recently with guard Azzi Fudd sidelined the past three games because of a knee sprain.

“I think we’re going to need three legitimate big-time scorers the entire season,” Auriemma said. “Where they come from, it really doesn’t matter to me, but hopefully we’ll have at least four maybe when Azzi gets back.”

UConn next faces No. 7 USC on Saturday in Hartford, Connecticut, in its second top-10 matchup this month. It lost to then-No. 8 Notre Dame last week.

No. 5 LSU beat Seton Hall 91-64 in the opener of Women’s Showcase earlier Tuesday.

Information from ESPN Research was used in this report.

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Iowa

Minnesota Wild Recalls Tyler Pitlick From Iowa | Minnesota Wild

Published

32 minutes ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Minnesota Wild Recalls Tyler Pitlick From Iowa | Minnesota Wild

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has recalled forward Tyler Pitlick from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Pitlick, 34 (11/1/91), has tallied two goals, 24 penalty minutes (PIM) and 26 shots in 31 games with Minnesota this season and ranks fourth on the team with 76 hits. He has also collected 11 points (8-3=11) and 31 shots in 12 games with Iowa. The 6-foot-2, 201-pound native of Minneapolis, Minn., owns 111 points (58-53=111) and 565 shots on goal in 451 career NHL games over 11 seasons with the Edmonton Oilers (2013-17), Dallas Stars (2017-19), Philadelphia Flyers (2019-20), Arizona Coyotes (2020-21), Calgary Flames (2021-22), Montreal Canadiens (2021-22), St. Louis Blues (2022-23), New York Rangers (2023-24) and Minnesota (2025-26). He has tallied three points (2-1=3) in 22 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. Pitlick has also recorded 140 points (60-89=149) in 289 career AHL games in parts of eight seasons with the Oklahoma City Barons (2011-15), Bakersfield Condors (2015-16), Hartford Wolf Pack (2023-24), Providence Bruins (2024-25) and Iowa (2025). He was originally selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the second round (31st overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft. Pitlick was signed by Minnesota as a free agent on July 2, 2025, and wears sweater No. 19 with the Wild.

Minnesota hosts the St. Louis Blues tomorrow at 4 p.m. CT on FanDuel Sports Network and KFAN FM 100.3.

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Iowa

Iowa Boys High School Basketball Substate Finals Locked In For 4A

Published

13 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Iowa Boys High School Basketball Substate Finals Locked In For 4A

The fourth and final bunch of Iowa high school boys basketball substate championship games are now set after the second round of Class 4A games were completed on Friday, February 27.

Substate championships in Iowa’s largest classification will take place on Tuesday, March 3, with the higher seed serving as host in all eight games. Winners advance to Des Moines, Iowa and the Casey’s Center to compete in the Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys State Tournament beginning March 9.

Three-time defending 4A state champion Valley was eliminated by Ankeny, 72-36. The Tigers, who lost all five starters from a year ago, won just one game prior to earning a victory in the opening round of postseason play.

Cedar Falls, who has held the No. 1 spot in 4A throughout the season, scored a dominating 78-45 decision vs. Iowa City High to move on.

Colin Rice, a Nebraska commit for Fred Hoiberg, scored a single-game school-record 50 points as Waukee Northwest topped Iowa City Liberty, 101-58.

Council Bluffs Lincoln, Ames, North Scott, Dowling Catholic, Dubuque Senior, Johnston, Linn-Mar, Muscatine, Norwalk, Cedar Rapids Prairie, Des Moines Roosevelt, Urbandale and Waukee all joined them in the next round after winning games at home.

The 1A and 2A substate finals will take place on Saturday, February 28 while the 3A games go down on Monday, March 2.

Here are the Iowa boys high school basketball Class 4A substate finals for Wednesday, March 3.

Wednesday, March 3

Class 4A

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The One Game That Will Define Iowa’s 2026 Season

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

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The One Game That Will Define Iowa’s 2026 Season

When it comes to the Iowa Hawkeyes 2026 football season, it doesn’t get much bigger than Ohio State coming to Kinnick Stadium.

No one knows at this stage where the Buckeyes will be come Oct. 3, but Iowa has a chance to make an early impression against a team that is no stranger to winning the big one.

Iowa’s B1G schedule couldn’t get off to a worse start as they head to Michigan and then welcome the Buckeyes to Kinnick.

Hopefully for Iowa’s sake, their first three games against Northern Illinois, Iowa State, and Northern Iowa are enough to get them prepared. If not, things could get ugly.

ESPN Believes Ohio State is Iowa’s Biggest Opponent in 2026

The helmet of Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith sits on the sideline prior to the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Michigan game will certainly be a test, but hosting the Buckeyes is a different animal. That gives the Hawkeyes an advantage like no other, and if there was ever a time to give OSU a run for their money, it’s in Iowa City on Oct. 3.

“The Hawkeyes haven’t faced Ohio State at Kinnick Stadium since 2017, when Nate Stanley threw five touchdowns as they stunned the Buckeyes 55-24. An early October win over Ohio State could propel Iowa into the Big Ten title and playoff conversations,” Jake Trotter wrote.

To put things into perspective, Indiana and Oregon were the other two teams that had the Buckeyes listed as their defining game in the 2026 season. Shockingly, Iowa was actually selected against a team, that being Minnesota. Seeing as that’s for the Floyd of Rosedale, it makes complete sense.

Iowa Can’t Let Regular Season Opportunities Go To Waste

Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski (10) throws a pass during warmups before a college football game against the Penn State Nittany Lions Oct. 18, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Last year was seemingly the Hawkeyes’ first time to actually make the College Football Playoffs. They came up short as their losses to No. 16 Iowa State, No. 11 Indiana, No. 9 Oregon and No. 17 USC all added up. Sure, those were by a combined 15 points, but that doesn’t matter, as it’s bad enough that a three-loss team made the playoffs.

Iowa ended with a bang as they took down No. 14 Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl, 34-27. Now, all eyes are on either Jeremy Hecklinski or Hank Brown. One of those men will have a chance to make their first B1G start at the Big House in Michigan.

It doesn’t get any tougher than that, as Iowa is immediately putting their new QB into deep water. They’ll have three games prior to that to get up to speed, but other than that, it’s go time as OSU awaits after their trip to Michigan.

Don’t forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!

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