LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — The Southern California Women of Troy used a dominant first quarter and a decisive third-quarter surge to hand the visiting Iowa Hawkeyes a rare loss, 81-69, in a nonconference women’s basketball game at Galen Center on Thursday night.

The Hawkeyes, who entered the contest with an 18-2 record and riding a five-game winning streak, were undone by a disastrous start and a critical stretch after halftime, falling to 18-3 overall. Southern California improved to 12-9.

The most important part of the game was the opening period, where Southern California established a commanding lead that Iowa spent the rest of the night unsuccessfully trying to overcome. The Women of Troy blitzed the Hawkeyes with a 28-point first quarter, connecting on 10 of their first 18 shots from the field, including four 3-pointers. Iowa, by contrast, managed only 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting and committed six turnovers in the frame. The 15-point deficit after just 10 minutes set the tone, forcing Iowa into an uphill battle against a Southern California team that efficiently capitalized on every mistake.

Kara Dunn, the star guard from Dallas, Georgia, spearheaded the Southern California attack with a game-high 25 points, adding five assists. She was instrumental in both the fast start and the game-sealing run. Fellow guard Jazzy Davidson of Clackamas, Oregon, provided a versatile 21 points and eight assists, while Londynn Jones of Riverside, California, chipped in 17 points.

Iowa showed resilience in the second quarter, outscoring Southern California 24-15 behind 10 points from Journey Houston to cut the deficit to 43-37 at halftime. The Hawkeyes even pulled within four points early in the third quarter. However, the critical response from the Women of Troy defined the outcome.

With the lead trimmed to six points, Southern California unleashed a 27-14 third quarter to extinguish Iowa’s comeback hopes. The Women of Troy shot 10 of 19 from the field in the period, including 4 of 8 from beyond the arc. Dunn and Davidson combined for 14 points in the quarter, while the defense forced Iowa into a 6-of-17 shooting performance. A 14-4 run over the final four minutes of the quarter, capped by a Londynn Jones 3-pointer just before the buzzer, pushed the Southern California lead to 70-51, effectively putting the game out of reach.

Iowa was led by Journey Houston of Davenport, Iowa, who scored 16 points. Ava Heiden of Sherwood, Oregon, added 13 points, while Taylor Stremlow of Verona, Wisconsin, contributed 11 points and six assists. Point guard Chazadi Wright of Atlanta, Georgia, played all 40 minutes, finishing with eight points and eight assists.

The statistical story of the game was Southern California’s efficiency and ball security against Iowa’s typically potent offense. The teams had an identical 76 possessions, but the Women of Troy scored at a rate of 107.1 points per 100 possessions compared to Iowa’s 91.1. Southern California committed only five turnovers, converting them into 19 points, while Iowa’s 12 turnovers led to just three points for the Hawkeyes. Southern California also held a significant advantage from the 3-point line, making 10 of 27 attempts compared to Iowa’s 7 of 21.

The game, organized by the Big Ten Conference, drew an attendance of 4,303. Iowa, which had been a 1.5-point pregame favorite, saw the total score of 150 fall well under the over/under line of 131.5.

Iowa looks to rebound on Sunday when it continues its West Coast trip at UCLA. Southern California returns to action Sunday at home against Rutgers.