Hawkeyes defeat Gophers in Big Ten home-opener
Iowa picked up its first win in Big Ten play by toppling Minnesota on Monday.
Iowa guard Joe Wieskamp shoots the ball during the men’s basketball game against Minnesota at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Monday, December 9, 2019.
December 9, 2019
After beginning Big Ten play with a loss to Michigan on Dec. 6, Iowa notched a tally in the win column on Monday.
The Hawkeyes downed Minnesota, 72-52, in Carver-Hawkeye Arena to bring their record to 7-3 and 1-1 in the conference.
Iowa couldn’t have done it without sophomore forward Joe Wieskamp. Wieskamp kicked off the game with a 3-pointer before dropping 23 on 8-of-15 shooting, including a 5-of-7 mark from deep, by the game’s end.
Less than five minutes into the game, Wieskamp had already scored 11 points after draining his first three 3-point attempts.
Luka Garza matched Wieskamp’s level of play in the second half. After netting seven points in the first, Garza upped his total to 21 as the buzzer sounded.
Garza’s matchup with Minnesota’s Daniel Oturu was a key for the Hawkeyes to leave Carver-Hawkeye with a victory. Oturu scored 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting, but his eight turnovers didn’t help the Gopher cause.
Next, Iowa will face Iowa State in the annual Cy-Hawk game on Thursday in Ames.
