The 25th-ranked University of Iowa men’s basketball team downed UCLA, 74-61, to improve to 2-1 in the Big Ten and 12-2 overall.
The Hawkeyes got the scoring started in the half, but both teams took turns putting up points. Junior Alvaro Folgueiras hit two crucial back-to-back 3-point baskets to send Iowa on an 11-1 run through the 11-minute mark.
Iowa built a 20-7 lead with nine minutes left in the half after holding the Bruins scoreless for four minutes of game play. The Hawkeyes slowed down pace before the eight-minute timeout, but responded quickly after with back-to-back 3s to propel Iowa on a hot streak. The Hawkeyes led 40-22 at the half.
Iowa scored 21 of its 40 first-half points from beyond the arc and had 14 rebounds in the first 20 minutes. Senior Bennett Stirtz led the team with 14 points to go along with four assists and four rebounds. Folgueiras added 11 points, with a block and a steal.
The Bruins fought back, holding Iowa scoreless for a six-minute stretch to cut the deficit to single digits. Iowa got to the free-throw line 10 times, going 17-for-21, capitalizing on UCLA fouls. Senior Tavion Banks made four crucial free throws late in the game to put Iowa up three scores with 1:40 left in the game, to help seal the Hawkeye win, 74-61.
Stirtz led Iowa with 27 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field with four rebounds and five assists. Folgueiras added 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting while pulling in five rebounds and blocking two shots. Sophomore Isaia Howard shot 4-of-10 from the field, scoring 11 points, and adding five rebounds. Banks rounded out Hawkeyes in double digits with 10 points, shooting 3-of-5 from the floor with four rebounds and a block.
Iowa Head Coach Ben McCollum was proud of his teams effort. “They are a fun group to be proud of, because they exemplify exactly what Iowa stands for. You’re not always perfect, but they will compete, they will fight, and I’m super proud of our guys. UCLA is really good. They are very difficult to defend, and we didn’t have an answer for that. Didn’t have a great answer for offense in the second half either, so we will work to correct that. But all in all, it was a good win.”
The Hawkeyes shot 22-of-47 (46.8) from the field and 8-of-26 (30.8) from 3-point range. Iowa shot 22-of-26 (84.6) from the charity stripe. Iowa poured in 28 off the bench, while outrebounding the Bruins, 32-27. Up next is Minnesota on Tuesday at 7pm. The game from Minneapolis will be on KWPC, AM 860 and FM 95.1 and coverage is brought to you by Muscatine Power and Water, Meineke Muffler, Ed Morse Chevy, Buick and GMC and Community Health Care Dental Clinic.
