IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa women’s basketball team kicked off their season with a commanding win against Missouri Western, 110-55 in an exhibition at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Wednesday night. It was head coach Jan Jensen’s first game at the helm.

The Hawkeyes jumped to an early lead, ending the first quarter with a 33-14 advantage. Key contributions came from Stuelke, who scored seven points in the first quarter alone, followed by Olsen with six, and Feuerbach, who added three points and three rebounds.

The second quarter saw Iowa continue to dominate, extending their lead to 57-26 by halftime. Olsen scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds in the first half. The Hawkeyes’ defense was equally impressive, forcing six turnovers and limiting Missouri Western’s scoring to 12 points in the second period. Iowa allowed one two point field in the first 20 minutes of action.

The second half was more of the same as Iowa maintained their intensity. The third quarter ended with Iowa leading 84-42, thanks to a strong performance from Mallegni, who scored 9 points in the quarter. The Hawkeyes’ bench also played a significant role, contributing 48 points overall.

In the final quarter, Iowa continued to apply pressure, closing out the game with a 26-13 run. The Hawkeyes shot 83.9 percent from the line with all available players contributing to the stat sheet. Senior Addison O’Grady added eight points and two rebounds, and Taylor McCabe downed two threes tallying eight points and four assists in her first career start.

POSTGAME NOTES
– Junior Hannah Stuelke recorded 18 points, a team-high seven free throws, and five rebounds.
– Lucy Olsen dished out a team-best six assists and scored 14 points in her debut as a Hawkeye.
– Freshmen Ava Heiden, Teagan Mallegni and Taylor Stremlow combined for 34 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists.
– Stremlow led the Hawkeyes with nine rebounds.
– Mallegni shot 50 percent from deep (4-9) and netted 18 points.
– Kylie Feuerbach scored 14 on 5-of-7 from the field and recorded seven rebounds and two steals.
– Iowa had five players register double figures. (Feuerbach, Heiden, Olsen, Mallegni and Stuelke)
– Tonight’s game marks the second exhibition sellout in Iowa women’s basketball history. (14,998)
– It is the largest crowd in program history for an exhibition game.
– Iowa is 2-0 all-time in exhibitions against Missouri Western. (2007)
– The Hawkeye defense held Missouri Western scoreless for the last 3:40 of the first quarter. Iowa went on a 13-0 run during that span making 7-of-9 field goal attempts.
– Seven different Hawkeyes scored in the first period.
– Iowa shot 40 percent (4-10) from three-point land in the first quarter.
– Olsen was the only player in double figures at halftime with 11 points, four assists, and four rebounds.
– UI led 57-26, at the break connecting on nine 3-pointers. (9-20)
– Six players had six or more points at halftime.
– Tonight’s contest never saw a tie or lead change, the Hawkeyes were in control for all 40 minutes.
– Iowa had 20 assists on 36 field goals.
– The Hawkeyes held Missouri Western to 24.2 percent from the field in the first half. (8-33)
– Iowa allowed one two-point field goal in the first 20 minutes of action.
– All active players scored in the game.

QUOTING SUE P. BECKWITH, MD, HEAD COACH JAN JENSEN
“I worked with the best in my opinion—not just the best coach, but the best person. I am grateful to have a team that did what they should’ve done tonight. It’ll be a different feeling when the games count, and when we start playing our caliber of players, but I’m grateful to have this win. Personally, it’s huge, and it’s everything I wanted so many years ago. Thanks to my great boss, Beth Goetz, and Barbara Wilson. I’m so thankful, and the players did such a great job tonight.”

FOLLOW US
Make sure to follow Iowa women’s basketball on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook (@IowaWBB) for news and updates all season long.

UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes open the regular season Nov. 6, hosting Northern Illinois at 6:30 p.m. (CT). The contest will stream on B1G+ (subscription required) and the Hawkeye Radio Network.

Missouri basketball just picked up its second commitment of the 2025 class in composite 4-star forward Nicholas Randall.

A St. Louis native, Randall has been connected with head coach Dennis Gates and the Tigers for quite some time. His first On3 sports prediction was filed early in June of 2024 and Missouri was rumored to be the leader in his recruitment since that point.

Randall presents as a traditional, modern power forward with a high court-running motor that can score in the interior and rebound at a high level. If he can get stronger and develop his offensive skillset, the final result will be a developmental forward.

Here’s everything you need to know about the St. Louis native.

The most growth Randall needs to show is offensively. He doesn’t have much of a jump shot yet and might not ever develop one. More than likely, Randall’s offensive production won’t be his calling card in his college and potential professional career.

Though his jump shot is inefficient, he still takes too many perimeter shots. He hasn’t done anything yet to deem those to be efficient, but that hasn’t stopped him from taking them. More than likely, Randall will not take a high volume of perimeter shots to start his college career. If he does and remains as inefficient as he’s been, that’s a one-way stop to reduced minutes.

What he will be known for is his ability to rebound the ball. Only standing at 6-foot-8, 230-pounds, he is certainly undersized for his position, but his knack for positioning and his use of his strength to get into those positions is his most valuable trait.

He might not look the biggest on tape, but Randall plays physically on both sides of the ball. He can body up defenders on offense, again fight for rebounding position and play physical defense.

Randall’s rebounding and defense are going to have to function at a high level in order for him to see the court early in his college career. If the development in the weight room comes along in the months leading up to his start with the Tigers, that might be a surefire way to see the court.

As far as what Randall’s role looks like with the Tigers early on, depending on personnel, he may function best as a smaller center. He has the athleticism and motor to run the court consistently and not being a perimeter threat makes it harder to slot him anywhere else. The Tigers do have plenty of help, as of now, at the center position, which also makes it more of a challenge to envision where Randall will play.

Assuming the Tigers keep all its depth at the center position, developing and training consistency with Randall’s perimeter shot might be the next course of action if they want him to see the court. Gates and the Missouri coaching staff are known for wanting shooters at all five positions, even with his power forwards and centers. If Randall can’t shoot from the outside at all, it might make him a liability in Gates’ offense.

Even if Randall can’t have an efficient offensive game to start, he will be relied on to have a high motor on defense and secure a few rebounds per game. If those things don’t happen from the jump, his role and outlook with the Tigers could be foggy. In high school, for the most part, he’s been a player who excels at playing his role. That needs to continue for him to find success with the Tigers.

‘What Our Bond Should Be’: Dennis Gates Sets Two Missouri Guards Relationship as the Standard
How to Watch: Missouri Men’s Basketball Season-Opener at Memphis

Mizzou Basketball Grabs 2nd Commit of 2025 Class in St. Louis Forward

TAMPA, Fla. (CBS12) — After 24 years of unanswered questions, a cold case of sexual assault in Tampa has led to the arrest of a 59-year-old man living in Missouri.

“Our Special Victims Section, with the help of modern technology, has brought closure to a victim who has waited for more than 20 years for answers. We hope this brings comfort and peace to the victim as she continues to heal,”said Sheriff Chad Chronister.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) stated that on March 7, 2000, deputies had responded to a report of a woman getting sexually assaulted after accepting a ride from a stranger.

After an investigation was launched, DNA evidence was collected, and all leads were exhausted, the case reportedly went cold.

HCSO reported that in 2022, their Special Victims Section reopened the case using a DNA Grant and other resources.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement funded the genetic genealogy testing, resulting in detectives compiling a family tree related to the suspect.

See also:Busted: Nine ‘Johns’ nabbed in West Palm Beach prostitution sting

Officials stated that in August, detectives identified 59-year-old Walter Leon Rutherford Jr. as the possible suspect.

The investigation into Rutherford Jr. revealed that even though he has been living in Missouri since 2007, he had ties to being in Tampa in 2000.

HCSO noted that they had worked with the Stone County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri to obtain a DNA sample from Rutherford Jr.

According to the report, in September, detectives compared Rutherford Jr.’s current DNA sample to the one collected from the crime scene 24 years ago and confirmed they matched.

Rutherford Jr. was taken into custody on October 28 and has been accused of two counts of sexual battery.

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