That’s what Hawkeye fans were hoping for.
Iowa made its opener versus North Dakota look like light work, racing away from the Fighting Hawks, 110-68.
Six Hawkeyes finished in double-figure scoring, paced by junior forward Payton Sandfort’s 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting. That included 3-of-7 marksmanship from 3-point range from the Waukee, Iowa, native. It’s a terrific first sign from one of the elder statesmen on this roster that the Hawkeyes hope morphs into a consistent nightly producer.
Valpo grad transfer Ben Krikke made waves in his Hawkeye debut, scoring 18 points and grabbing six rebounds on 8-of-13 shooting. Freshman forward Owen Freeman finished with 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Sophomore guard Dasonte Bowen added 12 points, redshirt senior forward Patrick McCaffery chipped in with 11 points and senior guard Tony Perkins also had 10 points.
The Moline Boys — Freeman and freshman point guard Brock Harding — showcased their chemistry and connection on a highlight reel alley-oop. Freshman forward Ladji Dembele had a nice one-handed slam coming down the paint as well.
As a team, Iowa shot 53.3% from the floor and 50% (12-of-24) from 3-point distance. It was a seemingly effortless path to triple digits in the opener for the Hawkeyes.
Meanwhile, Iowa limited North Dakota to 40.3% field goal shooting, including an icy 16% from 3-point range. The Hawkeyes forced 19 turnovers, while committing only seven.
Hawkeye social media was naturally excited by the season opener’s promising signs for the year ahead.