Cold third quarter dooms Iowa women at Penn State

Iowa dropped to 10-6 and 1-2 in the Big Ten with a 71-58 loss at Penn State on Tuesday night. The Hawkeyes were outscored 39-27 in the second half and shot a grisly 11 percent (2-for-18) from 3-point land.

Penn State's Teniya Page was questionable for this game with a hand injury. She played and scored 11 points as one of four Lady Lions in double figures.

Megan Gustafson paced the Hawkeyes with 21 points but an uncharacteristically low four rebounds. The Hawkeyes, as a whole, were outrebounded 41-30.

Tania Davis added 14 points for Iowa, and Kathleen Doyle had 11 points and four steals. Ally Disterhoft scored four on 2-of-9 shooting.

The Hawkeyes have lost three straight road games.

How the game was decided: Iowa shot 1-for-10 and scored two points through first eight minutes of the third quarter, when a 32-31 deficit swelled to 49-33. 

Key stat: Penn State freshman Jaida Travascio-Green earned her first start Tuesday, and she made the most of it, leading the team with 15 points on 5-for-10 shooting from long range.

Up next: The Hawkeyes get a week off from game action before they host Illinois at 7 p.m. Jan. 11. Coach Lisa Bluder said the Hawkeyes will practice Thursday and Friday before taking the weekend off.