By Chris Walsh | FOR THE A-J

ST. THOMAS – The Iowa Hawkeyes handed Texas Tech its first loss of the season on the opening night of the Paradise Jam, 56-48.

Texas Tech forward Dominic Seals puts up a shot over Iowa center Megan Skouby during the Lady Raiders loss on Thursday.

“It was a good game for us tonight, not great,” Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said. “I thought our defense played well tonight.”

The Lady Raiders were held to just 15-of-60 shooting from the floor and just 3-of-20 from 3-point range.

Tech (4-1) started off controlling the pace of the game and going to the post where Dominic Seals scored four of the Lady Raiders first nine points.

Tiny Henderson started the game with a 3-pointer to give Tech an initial lead, but it would be the only trey the Lady Raiders would hit the whole first half.

After Tech took an 11-9 lead with just over 13 minutes remaining both defenses clamped down. Iowa (4-1) held the Lady Raiders without a field goal until there was five minutes remaining.

The Hawkeyes went on a 9-2 run during that span and built their biggest lead of the first half, 18-13.

With five minutes remaining, the Tech offense woke up with a Kierra Mallard jumper. The Lady Raiders then went on an 8-2 run and got the lead back following a Seals layup with 2:23 to play.

Mallard and Seals had six points each in the first half.

Tech had a three-point lead with 1:45 to play, but the Hawkeyes came back with a 3-pointer by Kelly Krei and two free throws by Megan Skouby to give Iowa a slim 25-23 lead at the half.

In the first half both teams combined for 17 turnovers while Tech shot just 26.7 percent and Iowa shot 36 percent from the floor.

The Lady Raiders started the second half just like they did the first, with five unanswered points and another 3-pointer by Henderson.

But also just like in the first half, the Hawkeyes defense adjusted. Iowa responded by holding Tech without a field goal for the next 71/2 minutes.

In that span the Hawkeyes went on an 18-2 run with Kristi Smith and Wendy Ausdemore scoring seven points each.

“I was real happy with the way Wendy Ausdemore played,” Bluder said. “Our guards played well where usually it’s our post play that carries us.

“Hopefully both will step up in the next game.”

Ausdemore finished with a double-double and a game-high 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Tech finally ended the run with a Seals jumper, but after scoring five unanswered points the Lady Raiders gave up nine and watched the score go to 52-35 with 7:26 to play.

Seals again broke the run with a jumper, but with 5:33 remaining in the game she fouled out.

Seals finished with 10 points and six rebounds and Mallard had a team-high 14 points and nine rebounds.

Story used with permission of The Virgin Islands Daily News.