Dani Carnegie scores 21 points as No. 10 Iowa defeats Towson, 73-45

Iowa City, Iowa – Freshman Dani Carnegie led the way as No. 10 Iowa dominated Towson 73-45 in their season opener on Monday night. Carnegie netted 21 points, while Chazadi "Chit-Chat" Wright contributed 14 points and freshman McKenna Woliczko added 10 points and eight rebounds. This marked the team's 27th consecutive season opener victory.

The Hawkeyes, who concluded last season with a 27-7 record and a tie for second place in the Big Ten, were coming off an NCAA Tournament second-round exit. Head coach Jan Jensen, in her third season, brought in six freshmen, including Carnegie, a first-team All-SEC pick at Georgia. With 5:17 remaining in the second quarter, Iowa closed the half on a 10-0 run, extending their lead to 50-33.

Towson briefly narrowed the gap to 11 points in the fourth quarter, but Iowa responded with a 9-0 run to secure the win. Eva Wilkerson scored 15 points for Towson, while Thalia Shepard contributed 13 points. The Hawkeyes struggled from the three-point line, making only 8 of their 29 attempts. Iowa defended Totson's defense, which concentrated on center Ava Heiden, a Big Ten first-team selection and Associated Press honorable mention All-American last season.

Heiden finished with seven points and seven rebounds after being held to just 3 of 4 attempts from the field. Towson will host Frostburg State on Thursday, while Iowa faces Eastern Illinois on the same day.