By Dallas Jones

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Hoosiers are never an easy foe and they can be even more challenging to face while you are in the middle of a losing streak. Iowa was in this exact situation Sunday afternoon as the 11-4 Indiana Hoosiers came to town and walked out with a 74-67 win.

Once again, the Hawkeye offense is not playing at the level we are used to seeing in recent years and the loss column is building because of it.

Iowa has the longest active streak in the nation scoring at least 80 points per game in four consecutive seasons. Coming into tonight, they are averaging 75.6 points, with turnovers and an inability to find a consistent lineup that can produce have been the biggest factors. Here is how today’s action played out.

First quarter: The Hawkeyes did not come out with their best game as they went scoreless in their first three possessions. Those possessions were so out of whack that Jan Jensen immediately went to get bench and brought Taylor McCabe and Taylor Stremlow in before the Hawkeyes scored their first basket.

Offense has been a struggle during the Hawkeye losing streak, especially turnovers. That continued in the opening quarter as the Hawkeyes had five turnovers before the four minute mark in the first quarter. It was that those costly turnovers and eight early points from Indiana’s Yarden Garzon that led to Indiana’s 18-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Indiana also got a couple points gifted to them after Sydney Affolter was called for a technical foul after ‘swatting’ the ball after a layup. Jan Jensen was very adamant in her disagreement with the call, to no avail.

Second quarter: The Hawkeyes found themselves struggling even more in the second quarter. They shot just 6-18 (33.3%) in the second and did not have a single player in double digits at the break.

Ten different Hawkeyes played in the first half with an abundance of lineup combinations, but the Hawkeyes could only muster up 11 made shots in the first half, at the same time they turned the ball over nine times.

It was the play of Taylor Stremlow that kept Iowa’s energy up. At one in the second quarter, she forced a jump ball on consecutive Indiana possessions and got a steal late in the half to cut into the Hoosier lead.

Third quarter: A good sign out of the half for the Hawkeyes as Taylor McCabe knocked down a three to cut it to a one possession game.

The momentum in Carver-Hawkeye arena seemed to come along with the three, but quickly disappeared as by the 3:45 mark in the quarter, Indiana’s lead was back to ten at 49-39. The offensive woes continued as at that same mark, the Hawkeyes were just 3-11 (27.3) from the field to start the second half.

Indiana outscored the Hawkeyes 23-19 in the quarter and held a ten point lead. Addi O’Grady led the Hawkeyes through three quarters with eleven points on 5-7 shooting.

Fourth quarter: Indiana’s Yarden Garzon had no issue scoring on Sunday as she knocked down her fifth three of the game early in the fourth to give Indiana a 64-49 lead. Garzon finished the game with 21 points on 7-8 from the field and 5-5 on threes.

Iowa’s best chance to cut into the Hoosier lead came on the final quarter as Iowa held Indiana scoreless for almost four and a half minutes, but they did not capitalize as the Hawkeyes only scored three points of their own during that time.

The Hawkeyes did not let that hurt them too much as they continued to play hold Indiana without a made field goal for over six minutes. After a Taylor McCabe three, the Hawkeyes were in the midst of an 8-0 run and the lead was cut to four at 66-62 with 1:56 left to play.

Iowa was unable to close the deal as Indiana held on to claim the victory and move to 4-1 in Big Ten play. Iowa will look to end their losing steak Thursday night, as they host the Nebraska Cornhuskers at 6:00pm.

Check out what both head coaches and players from both have to say postgame here: