The NCAA Tournament tipped off and the Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team flipped a switch as they have done the past few seasons.
Their opening-round game against the Murray State Racers stayed close for most of the first half until a late surge gave the Hawkeyes a 12-point lead at the break that ballooned to a 34-point lead in the third quarter letting Iowa turn on cruise control on their way to a 92-57 victory.
Iowa had it all working on the offensive end receiving contributions from the paint, three-point range, starters, and the bench. It was a quintessential Iowa performance in March and as good of an NCAA Tournament win as they could have scripted.
As a team, Iowa shot over 50% from the field and had 12 different players not only play in this game but also score in this game to highlight the entire team effort this game was.
As Iowa awaits the Oklahoma and Florida Gulf Coast winner, check out the takeaways from Iowa's NCAA Tournament win.
Ava Heiden has arrived
Ava Heiden took this game over in the first half and had a coming-out party on the biggest of stages on national television. Her NCAA Tournament debut was everything Iowa could have asked for and then some.
Heiden gave Iowa 15 points and 7 rebounds with a very efficient 7-11 shooting performance. Her emergence for Iowa has given them depth and talent down low that they can lean on. As a freshman, Heiden is already shining and her star is only going to get brighter.
Taylor Stremlow deserves her flowers
Taylor Stremlow was incredible off the bench today. After averaging two points per game in the regular season, she exploded for 10 points and 4 rebounds today. If she can play with this confidence and give Iowa more depth off the bench, the Hawkeyes become even deeper and more dangerous as they seek an upset.
The moment this game swung toward Iowa
Things were 37-30 late in the second quarter and Murray State was lingering as so many lower seeds looking for an upset often do. Iowa was in foul trouble and it felt that the Racers had some momentum. Iowa went to the bench and their production is the moment this game swung.
Taylor McCabe hit a three, Taylor Stremlow hit a jumper, and Aaliyah Guyton sent the game into the break to cap off a 7-0 run and push things to 42-30. From this moment on, Iowa was in full control.
Lucy Olsen is embracing March
It may not have been Lucy Olsen's highest-scoring game but it didn't need to be. What she gave Iowa today was absolutely perfect and made this offense go.
Olsen poured in 12 points and 12 assists to register an NCAA Tournament double-double running this offense like a maestro at a world-class concert. It was a sight to see and if she can continue to see the court like this, the country will realize who Lucy Olsen is.
This team is confident
Jan Jensen has this team playing their best ball down the stretch. The end of the regular season success has carried over into the NCAA Tournament and that is a dangerous thing. Iowa has been among the best teams in America over the last few weeks and today further cemented that.
This team is primed for a run if they can stay confident. Monday is their chance to flip the script and pull off the upset after so often having the target on their backs.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: March Madness takeaways: Iowa women's basketball vs Murray State
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