Hawkeye second-year guard Dasonte Bowen finished with a career-high 17 points and three steals as Iowa notched a gritty 88-74 win over Arkansas State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Friday.
Bowen was aggressive from the jump. Just twelve seconds into the game, he logged a steal and took the ball downcourt for an and-one layup. Bowen went on to make the free throw.
About a minute and a half later, Bowen scored another fastbreak layup off a Ben Krikke steal – giving him five points and one steal within the first two minutes of the game. The 6-foot-2, 183-pounder went quiet for a couple of minutes before drawing another shooting foul. He made both of his free throws to bring his point total up to seven.
Bowen spent some time on the bench before checking back in around the five-minute mark in the first half. He would tally two points, two assists, one rebound, and one steal as the Hawkeyes went on a 13-6 run during that span. Bowen had nine points, two assists, two steals, and one rebound heading into the break.
Bowen would start the second half the same way he started the first half – recording a steal in the first defensive possession and taking it down for an and-one layup.
The second-year would grow quiet after the highlight. He would be subbed out for a brief period before returning around the seven-minute mark. Bowen reverted back to his aggressive play, logging four points and an assist over a short four-minute stint before finishing the game on the sideline.
Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, Bowen shot 4-of-5 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free throw line. His relentless attack led to seven fouls drawn – three of which were and-one opportunities. His game plan was rather simple.
“I just tried staying aggressive coming out early,” Bowen said in his postgame press conference. “I tried to get to the basket early and work my way inside out. “And it was working so I just kept going inside and drawing contact. But we got a very, very deep team so it could be anyone’s night on any occasion.
Bowen’s aggressive play was also displayed on the defensive side of the floor. Notching three of the team’s 11 steals, his disruption helped the Hawkeyes force 18 Red Wolf turnovers. Bowen described the team as staying locked in, but notes there are some things that can be worked on.
Through four games this season, Bowen has accumulated five turnovers on defense while only committing one turnover on offense along with 17 assists. His 17-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio is the best in NCAA Division I men’s hoops so far this season.
Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery saw the potential in Bowen as a high school player coming out of Brewster Acadamy, in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, where he helped lead the team to a NEPSAC AAA championship his senior season.
“He was a phenomenal player on the AAU circuit and in the prep school circuit. Nobody saw it his last year [of high school] because of the pandemic,” McCaffery spoke about Bowen. “The thing about him is he’s really talented. He’s a good athlete, he can run your offense, he can make plays, he plays defensive and rebounds well. But he’s one of the finest people you’ll ever come across. He comes from a great family. And we’re just proud to have him on our team.”
