No comebacks were needed for Iowa men’s basketball on Saturday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Following a 15-point rally in its previous game against Nebraska, Iowa never trailed by more than four in a 85-60 rout against Indiana. The Hawkeyes improved to 12-4 overall and 3-2 in conference play.
Senior guard Drew Thelwell missed the contest against the Cornhuskers with a lower leg injury. He never lacked mobility against the Hoosiers, living in passing lanes and snatching six steals to go along with 12 points and three rebounds.
In a battle between last season’s Big Ten Freshman of the Year Award winners in the coaches’ vote, Iowa second-year center Owen Freeman outshined Indiana counterpart Mackenzie Mgbako. Freeman earned his eighth career double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds to go along with four blocks.
In similar fashion to his performance against Nebraska, Iowa senior forward Payton Sandfort got hot from long range in the second half, connecting on four triples. He finished the evening with a team-high 23 points, with all but two scored after the break.
After a first half of opposing scoring runs, the Hawkeyes led by 10 at the break and never fell behind, pushing ahead to as many as 30 points before cruising to the final buzzer. Iowa scored 24 points off turnovers and 26 off the fast break. The team shot 54 percent from the field and 46 percent from beyond the arc.
Iowa erased an early 4-0 deficit with an 11-0 run, highlighted by eight points in the paint from Freeman.
The Hawkeyes led by as many as 13 in the first half before an 11-0 run from Indiana gave the Hoosiers a one-point lead. The advantage didn’t last long for the visitors, as 12 turnovers from the Hoosiers saw them trailing, 43-33, at the break. The Hawkeyes finished the first half with eight steals in the first half, led by Thelwell with five.
The transfer from Morehead State combined with sophomore guard Brock Harding for 17 points and five assists. The Hawkeye starting guard tandem shot a combined 8-of-10 from the floor as Iowa finished the first half with a 58.1 field goal percentage, including a 5-of-11 mark from downtown.
Up Next
The Hawkeyes travel to the west coast for a contest against USC on Jan 13. Tip off is set for 9:30 p.m. Central Time on FS1. The Trojans are 10-6 on the season with a 2-3 record in Big Ten play. After dropping two consecutive games against Michigan and Indiana, USC topped No. 13 Illinois on the road, earning its first away win against a ranked squad since 2010.
The Trojans are led in scoring by junior forward Desmond Claude, who averages 14.9 points per game, including a 31-point effort against the Illini.