HEIDEN AND SEEK: Ava Misses Twice All

Sometimes you win pretty. Sometimes you win ugly. And sometimes you win because your center decided to turn into a human cheat code for two hours.

On Monday night, No. 14 Iowa went into Evanston and beat Northwestern 67-58, handing the Wildcats their ninth straight loss. It wasn't exactly a Picasso painting, but in the Big Ten, you take the 'W' and run to the bus before anyone changes their mind.

Here is the breakdown of the escape act:

The Ava Heiden Efficiency Clinic

If you are looking for a missed shot from Ava Heiden, keep looking. You might be there a while.

The sophomore center dropped 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting.

She basically played "Heiden and Seek" with the rim, and she won every time. While everyone else was clanking iron, Heiden was putting on a layup line exhibition. She closed the third quarter with a personal 6-0 run—two free throws, a layup, and a buzzer-beater jumper—to give Iowa a 50-44 cushion they would never relinquish.

Chit-Chat Lets Her Game Talk

Chit-Chat Wright lived up to the name—her game was loud.

She filled the stat sheet like she was playing bingo:

• 12 Points

• 7 Assists

• 5 Rebounds

• 3 Steals

With Hannah Stuelke having a rare "human" night (8 points on 2-of-11 shooting—we’ve all been there, Hannah), Wright and Heiden had to carry the luggage. And they delivered.

The Grace Sullivan Show (Featuring the Wildcats)

You have to feel for Grace Sullivan. The Big Ten’s leading scorer did everything but sell popcorn in the stands.

She dropped 28 points (11-of-22 shooting) and grabbed 7 rebounds.

At one point late in the fourth, Northwestern cut the lead to 62-58 on back-to-back threes. Sullivan was looking at her teammates like, "Okay, I got us this far, who wants to be the hero?"

Spoiler alert: No one. Northwestern didn't score again in the final 59 seconds.

The Streak Continues (The Bad Kind)

Northwestern has now lost nine straight games. That is tough. That is "checking the transfer portal during timeouts," tough. They fought hard, but Iowa now leads the all-time series 63-18. That is not a rivalry; that is a bullying hearing waiting to happen.

The Sanchez Verdict

Iowa (13-2) survives a trap game because Ava Heiden refused to miss. Northwestern (6-9) gets an "A" for effort but an "L" in the standings.

Up Next:

Iowa: Plays Sunday at Indiana. (Bring your earplugs).

Northwestern: Visits Minnesota on Thursday.