No. 13 Iowa women's basketball defeats Nebraska 80-67

Ava Heiden scores career-high 27 points as Iowa secures 20-win season

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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The No. 13 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers 80-67 on Monday, led by a career-high 27 points from Ava Heiden. Iowa built a 45-27 lead by halftime and never looked back, securing their 10th straight 20-win season.

Why it matters

This victory continues Iowa's strong season and keeps them in contention for a high seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament. For Nebraska, the loss extends their losing streak to five games and drops them to 16-10 on the year.

The details

Heiden shot an impressive 12-of-15 from the field, while teammate Taylor Stremlow added a career-high 17 points. Iowa led by as many as 27 points in the fourth quarter before coasting to the 80-67 win. Nebraska was led by Britt Prince's 13 points, but couldn't overcome Iowa's dominant performance.

  • The game was played on Monday, February 16, 2026.
  • Iowa secured their 10th straight 20-win season with the victory.

The players

Ava Heiden

Iowa's star player who scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the win.

Taylor Stremlow

Iowa player who added a career-high 17 points in the victory.

Britt Prince

Nebraska's leading scorer with 13 points, though her consecutive free-throw streak of 56 straight makes was snapped in the game.

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What’s next

Iowa will stay on the road to play at Purdue on Thursday, while Nebraska will travel to Oregon to face the Ducks on Thursday.

The takeaway

Iowa's dominant performance, led by career-highs from Heiden and Stremlow, secures their 10th straight 20-win season and keeps them in contention for a high NCAA tournament seed. Nebraska's losing streak now stands at five games, putting their postseason hopes in jeopardy.