The 23rd ranked Iowa Hawkeye women faltered at crunch time and lost at Illinois. The Hawkeyes failed to score in the final 90 seconds of the game and lost 62-57. Iowa made only eight-of-17 free throws.

That’s Iowa coach Jan Jensen. Turnovers continue to be an issue as the Hawkeyes finished with 18 as they drop to 2-3 in the Big Ten.

Hannah Stuelke led the Hawks with 18 points and Lucy Olsen added 16.

HAWKEYE TEN CONFERENCE

• Kuemper Catholic 93, Red Oak 34 

NON-CONFERENCE

• Shenandoah 70, Fremont-Mills 30
• St. Albert 71 West Monona 31 
• East Atchison 77, Essex 40
• Riverside 71, Griswold 29
• IKM-Manning 66, Exira/EHK 51
• Tri-Center 78, Glidden-Ralston 50 
• Southwest Valley 68, CAM 56 
• Woodbury Central 58, Boyer Valley 48

HAWKEYE TEN CONFERENCE

• Kuemper Catholic 64, Red Oak 13

NON-CONFERENCE 

• Shenandoah 65, Fremont-Mills 24
• St. Albert 71, West Monona 31
• East Atchison 55, Essex 33
• Riverside 50, Griswold 9
• Exira/EHK 83, IKM-Manning 81 (2 OT)
• Tri-Center 41, Glidden-Ralston 17
• Coon Rapids-Bayard 37, AHSTW 24
• CAM 60, Southwest Valley 41
• Woodbury Central 62, Boyer Valley 44

The Riverside Bulldogs boys basketball team looked strong in their win at home beating Griswold 71-29 on Thursday night. Dawson Henderson led the team with 18 points, including 6 baskets in the first half. Payton Amdor had 13 and Owen Fenner had 16 to help the Bulldogs get the win.

The Bulldogs started slow but increased their pace to be up 17-8 by the end of the first quarter. Griswold’s Peyton Cook had two baskets and a triple in the first half to try and keep his team in the game. Yet an 8-0 run to end the half with a large amount of Tiger turnovers pushed the lead to 23 by halftime making it 37-14 Riverside. The stifling defense continued in the third quarter for Riverside and it helped the Bulldog’s blew the game open to a 65-26 lead by the end of the third. When the fourth quarter came around, both teams looked to their benches and Riverside collected the victory.

Riverside Head Coach Nick Kroon said it was nice to see his tenacious defense throughout all four quarters creating turnovers.

When asked about winning with a smaller roster, coach Kroon pointed out that limiting turnovers and focusing on taking large amounts of shots are important.

Next up for Riverside is a competitive road trip against Treynor. Coach Kroon was complementary of the Cardinals and will not be taking that matchup lightly.

The Bulldogs improve to 5-4 with their win. Griswold’s leading scorer was Conner Bowers with 7. The Tigers fall to 3-6 and head back home to face Bedford on Friday.

Iowa basketball coach Fran McCaffery says their two game trip to Los Angeles next week is still on for now. The Hawkeyes play at USC next Tuesday and the Los Angeles area has been ravaged by wildfires.*

The Los Angeles Lakers postponed their NBA game Thursday night (tonight) and McCaffery says a postponement would bring in a number of options.

The Hawkeyes play at UCLA next Friday night.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State’s Jalen Travis and Malik Verdon have been added to the Reese’s Senior Bowl roster, which will be held Feb. 1, 2025, in Mobile, Alabama. The game will be televised on NFL Network at 1:30 p.m. (CT).

The pair joins previously announced Cyclone attendees Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel and Darien Porter.

As of Jan. 9, Iowa State is one of just six schools with at least five players attending the prestigious showcase.

Travis, who played a graduate season at Iowa State after spending four years at Princeton, anchored a Cyclone offensive line at left tackle. He missed the season’s first two games and after his return Iowa State averaged 32.8 points, 172.7 rushing yards and 426.1 yards per game. The Minneapolis, Minnesota, native allowed just one sack in 475 pass plays.

Verdon, who declared for the NFL Draft following his redshirt junior season, finished second on the team with 76 tackles, despite missing two games due to injury. He had one sack, an interception and two forced fumbles in 2024 as the Cyclones went 11-3 overall.

The Cincinnati, Ohio, native played 27 career games for the Cyclones and finished with 134 tackles and three interceptions.

Iowa State Senior Bowl Invitees
1955- Max Burkett
1962- Dave Hoppmann
1962- Chuck Walton
1963- Dave Hoover
1964- John Van Sicklen
1966- Eppie Barney
1968- Tom Busch
1972- Dean Carlson
1973- Merv Krakau
1974- Matt Blair
1975- Tom Goedjen
1977- Luther Blue
1979- Mike Stensrud (DNP)
1981- Kenny Neil
1983- Bruce Reimers
1986- Dennis Gibson
1991- Blaise Bryant
2000- Sage Rosenfels
2001- Ennis Haywood
2002- Seneca Wallace
2003- Jordan Carstens
2007- Ahtyba Rubin
2011- Leonard Johnson
2011- Kelechi Osemele
2013- Kirby Van Der Kamp
2014- E.J. Bibbs (DNP)
2017- Allen Lazard
2019 – Steve Wirtel
2021 – Charlie Kolar, Andrew Mevis, Mike Rose (DNP)
2022 – Xavier Hutchinson, Will McDonald IV (DNP)
2023 – TJ Tampa (DNP)
2024 – Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Darien Porter, Jalen Travis, Malik Verdon

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa senior Kyle Parco has been named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week, it was announced Thursday by the league office. The honor is the first of his career.

The Danville, California, native earned the distinction after winning the 149-pound bracket at the Soldier Salute.

Parco improved to 10-0 on the season with a 4-0 showing at the tournament. He picked up a pair of ranked victories, winning decisions against No. 22 Gabe Willochell of Wyoming and No. 6 Lachlan McNeil of North Carolina.

He outscored his opponents, 56-15, notching two technical falls. The senior scored 27 team points to help Iowa bring home its third straight Solider Salute team title.

Iowa returns to action on Sunday at 2 p.m. (CT), opening Big Ten competition at Wisconsin.

Riverside Senior Volleyball player Sophia Taylor committed to play for Buena Vista University Beavers Thursday morning at Riverside Community School. Taylor played an integral role in a historic volleyball season for the Bulldogs as they made their first ever state semifinal appearance with a record of 39-4 overall and a Western Iowa Conference Title. Taylor played in all 43 matches this past season, had 268 assists, 22 blocks, and 50 digs.  Taylor’s family were with her on signing day and are excited to see her athletic career continue at the collegiate level.

WASHINGTON – Officials with Republican Joni Ernst’s office, said Wednesday, the Senator from Iowa is continuing the fight for women’s sports this Congress, by joining her colleagues in introducing the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would prohibit school athletic programs from allowing biological males to participate in programs that are intended for women or girls. In a statement, Ernst said  “Every time a girl steps onto the mat, court, field, or track, she should know that she has every opportunity to compete and win. It is crucial we uphold the promise of Title IX and protect the integrity of women’s sports that inspire so many girls and fans around the world. Last year, women’s sports broke records, and I will continue to fight for our female athletes to have the opportunities they deserve and ensure they are not pushed off the podium.”

Specifically, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act:

Ensures Title IX provisions treat gender as “recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth. It Bans recipients of federal funding from operating, sponsoring, or facilitating athletic programs that permit a male to participate in a women’s sporting event.

Background:

Her office says Senator Ernst has urged the National Collegiate Athletic Association to keep men out of women’s sports and spoke on the Senate floor to make sure young girls aren’t pushed off the podium.

Ernst has also joined Riley Gaines, a former college swimmer and female sports’ advocate, to express concerns about biological males being allowed to participate in women’s sports. Because of her strong record, Ernst earned recognition for her work on Riley Gaines’ Stand with Women Scorecard.

Last year, her office says Senator Ernst “led the charge” to recognize “National Women’s Sports Week” and the crucial role Title IX has played in expanding athletic opportunities for women and girls.