MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Megan Gustafson had 34 points, 13 rebounds and four assists for her nation-leading 15th double-double of the season and No. 22 Iowa beat No. 23 Minnesota 81-63 on Monday night.
Kenisha Bell scored 22 points for Minnesota (12-4, 1-4), which has lost four straight under first-year coach Lindsay Whalen. Taiye Bello notched her seventh double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
"They came out and just went on a huge run in the third and we were a little back on our heels so give them credit they in that second half," said Whalen. "They were able to really dictate the game and get the ball where they wanted on offense.”
It was the Gophers' second loss in 12 games this season at Williams Arena.
Iowa used a 24-9 third quarter to pull away as Minnesota was held to 23 second-half points.
“We just have to play the whole 40 minutes and be ready to adjust on the fly when things aren’t going our way and just play with intensity the whole game," said Minnesota's Kenisha Bell. "You can’t take plays off to do something different than we did to start.”
Gustafson's picked up her 70th career double-double. She was 16 of 22 from the field and also had three blocks.
Tania Davis added 21 points with seven assists for Iowa (12-4, 3-2 Big Ten). Hannah Stewart added 10 points and nine rebounds and Kathleen Doyle had 11 points, seven assists and a career-high four steals.
After winning their first 12 games of the season, all against non-conference foes, the Gophers find themselves in a three-way tie for last place in the Big Ten standings going into Thursday's game at Wisconsin.
Minnesota beat the Badgers 74-56 on Dec. 28, the last time the Gophers picked up a win.