Iowa men’s basketball responded to their ugly loss to Utah State with an emphatic 110-77 victory over USC Upstate (2-7) from Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Tuesday night, improving to 6-1 heading into conference play.
The Hawkeyes‘ offense was relentless from the opening tip, with the trio of Owen Freeman, Josh Dix, and Brock Harding leading the charge. The trio would finish the game with a combined 51 points on 22-for-32 (68.75%) from the field, including 5-for-12 (41.67%) from 3-point territory.
As a team, Iowa shot 43-for-71 (60.6%) from the field, 12-for-26 from beyond the arc and 12-for-15 (80.0%) from the charity stripe. Iowa established clear control regarding point production, outscoring the Spartans, 50-34.
Defensively, Iowa tied USC Upstate in rebounds with 34 each but forced 19 turnovers, which were eventually converted into 31 points. The Hawkeyes also finished with 12 steals and five blocks.
With Iowa looking impressive heading into Big Ten play, here are the three stars from Tuesday night’s blowout victory:
Brock Harding
Harding continued his dominant play from last Friday into Tuesday night’s game vs. USC Upstate by registering a double-double through a career-high and team-leading 20 points on 9-of-13 (69.23%) shooting from the field and 2-of-5 (40.0%) from deep.
On top of his scoring, he also added 10 assists, four steals, three rebounds, and one steal to round out an impressive night.
Harding’s emergence as a reliable offensive weapon is a major development as Iowa enters the bludgeoning nature that is Big Ten play.
Owen Freeman
Like almost every game this season, Freeman has been at the forefront of the Hawkeyes’ offensive attack and did so again Tuesday night by finishing with 17 points on 8-for-12 (75.0%) shooting from the field and 1-for-3 (33.3%) from deep in just 18:17 of floor time.
Freeman also added six rebounds and two blocks throughout the night as well.
With Freeman fully warmed up through the opening seven games, he should be a force to reckon with throughout Big Ten play and beyond.
Riley Mulvey
Mulvey was a key contributor off the bench Tuesday night as he added 11 points on perfect 4-for-4 shooting. He also added three rebounds and one block to his total as well.
The Hawkeyes’ next game follows the Thanksgiving break, as the team will play their Big Ten opener on Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. CT against Northwestern (5-1) from Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The game will be broadcast through Peacock (subscription required) and on the Hawkeyes Radio Network.
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