Following a lopsided 83-58 victory versus Rider (3-2) on Tuesday night from Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa men’s basketball improved its overall record to 5-0 on the campaign.
The Hawkeyes established a dominant defensive presence and efficient scoring from the opening tip, which led to a comfortable 40-26 halftime lead. Iowa’s tenacious defense forced 10 turnovers by the Broncs, leading to 13 points off those takeaways in the opening half.
The second half continued Iowa’s smothering control of the game as the Hawkeyes would add 43 more points off 16-of-33 shooting from the field, including 5-for-9 from 3-point territory. The Hawkeyes would again force 10 Broncs turnovers, leading to seven more points off takeaways.
As a team, the Hawkeyes shot 30-of-64 (46.9%) from the field, including 8-of-22 (36.4%) from beyond the arc. Iowa also converted on 15-of-21 (71.4%) free throw attempts.
With another dominant performance, below are the three stars whose efforts guided the Hawkeyes to victory.
Payton Sandfort
Senior forward Payton Sandfort emerged in the second half to help widen the already comfortable lead for the Hawkeyes by finishing the night with 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including 2-of-7 from deep. He also had six rebounds, three assists, one block, and one steal in the contest.
While this level of production from Sandfort is somewhat expected, considering the senior is regarded as one of the primary offensive drivers of the team, it is still very well appreciated no matter the opponent.
Owen Freeman
Owen Freeman once again had an impressive showing on Tuesday night as he made 7-of-11 field goals en route to 19 points. The sophomore forward also had five rebounds, two assists, and two blocks to add to his stat line.
Freeman’s ability to dominate in the paint is clearly paying dividends for the Hawkeyes as 44 of Iowa’s 83 total points were generated from that area.
With conference play looming, Freeman’s recent play is exactly what head coach Fran McCaffery is looking for from the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Drew Thelwell
Coming off a clutch late-game performance against Washington State, Thelwell continued his impactful play off the bench on Tuesday night by recording seven assists and five steals in his 27 minutes of game time.
His stellar play defensively and as a facilitator for the offense allowed the Hawkeyes to establish their control of the game from start to finish.
Even though Thelwell scored only two points off 1-of-3 shooting from the field, his versatility in a sixth-man role has proven vital to the Hawkeyes’ recent success.
Iowa returns to action on Nov. 22, when the team travels to Kansas City, Mo., for the NABC Hall of Fame Classic game against Utah State (4-0).
The game will begin at 7 p.m. CT from the T-Mobile Center. It will be televised on the Big Ten Network and on the Hawkeye Radio Network.\
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