Iowa’s first-half defense had Hawkeye fans feeling frustrated and wondering just how good this team might be in 2023-24. The Hawkeyes led North Florida just 47-43 at the break.
Then, a second-half barrage from Iowa left everyone feeling much better about the Hawkeyes’ prospects moving forward. Iowa raced away from North Florida in the second half, outscoring North Florida after halftime 56-35 to win 103-78.
Five Hawkeyes finished in double figures, led by senior guard Tony Perkins and graduate forward Ben Krikke’s 21 points. Redshirt senior forward Patrick McCaffery added 16 points as did freshman big Owen Freeman.
Freeman also had a dizzying sequence where he blocked three UNF shots in a row late in the second half. The frosh from Moline, Ill., finished with five blocks, five rebounds and three steals.
Junior forward Payton Sandfort was Iowa’s other double-figure scorer, ending his night with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting.
Iowa shot 59% from the field as a team and 57.1% from 3-point range against the Ospreys. The Hawkeyes also connected on 23-of-26 free throw tries. Now, Iowa will turn its attention to its Big Ten opener on Monday as the Hawkeyes hit the road to take on No. 1 Purdue.
Before that massive road tilt arrives, here’s how Hawkeye social media took in Iowa’s 103-78 win over the North Florida Ospreys.