After losing to Michigan State on Feb. 25, Iowa wasted no time getting back in the win column. The men’s basketball defeated Penn State, 77-68, in a physical game that will have a significant impact on the Big Ten standings.

The victory for Iowa avenged a Jan. 4 defeat at the hands of Penn State at the Palestra.

This time around, the Hawkeyes were playing on their home court with the support of a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd.

CJ Fredrick returned to Iowa’s starting lineup on Saturday for the first time since injuring his ankle Feb. 13 against Indiana. The sharpshooter’s presence gave the Hawkeyes another threat from deep. He finished with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range.

Luka Garza didn’t have his prettiest stat line Saturday, but still extended his 20-point game streak to 14. The junior All-American candidate finished with 25 points on 11-of-28 shooting, while also hauling in 17 rebounds.

A pair of free throws by Iowa guard Joe Wieskamp gave the Hawkeyes the lead with under two minutes to go before halftime. Iowa carried a 35-34 lead into the break.

To start the second half, the Hawkeyes went on a 7-0 run to force a Nittany Lion timeout.

Iowa held onto that lead for the rest of the game to secure the victory and stay in the running for a double-bye at the upcoming Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis.

The victory moves Iowa’s record to 20-9 overall and 11-7 in the conference. The Hawkeyes play their final home game of the regular season March 3 against Purdue.