IU women’s basketball dropped three spots to No. 15 in this week’s rankings after its double overtime loss to unranked Iowa.
The Hoosiers remain among the top 15 teams in the nation, and this week marks the 12th consecutive week, including the preseason, that they are ranked in the AP Poll.
The slide comes after a 2-1 week that saw IU defeat Illinois handily 83-42 last Monday, then defeat in-state rival Purdue 66-48 from Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Thursday to get off to a 4-0 start in conference, a program best.
However, the Hoosiers had their first conference loss in Iowa City where the Hawkeyes have not lost in 30 consecutive games.
The loss was sufficient enough to shift the Hoosiers back to 15th. And the victory allowed the Hawkeyes to jump into the AP Poll, coming in at 22nd after previously being unranked.
Despite a career night from sophomore forward Aleksa Gulbe, who tallied 18 points and 9 rebounds, and a season high 24 points from junior guard Jaelynn Penn, Iowa’s senior guards Mackenzie Meyer and Kathleen Doyle helped Iowa outlast IU.
The 15th overall ranking is the lowest for the Hoosiers in the AP poll since week four, when they were ranked 17th.
IU returns home for its next game, hosting the Northwestern Wildcats at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The game will be televised on BTN+.
