By CHUCK SCHOFFNER
AP Sports Writer
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Jeff Horner and Adam Haluksa each scored 21 points and Horner added eight rebounds and six assists, leading No. 23 Iowa to a 91-75 victory over Drake on Tuesday night.
Playing its first game since a second-place finish at last week’s Maui Invitational, Iowa (4-1) pulled away with a 12-0 first-half run and was never seriously threatened after that in beating Drake (1-2) for the 26th straight time.
Pierre Pierce scored 15 points for Iowa, which shot 53.6 percent, and freshman Carlton Reed had 14.
Iowa played without shot-blocking specialist Erek Hansen, sidelined by a sore hip, and Drake tried to capitalize on the 6-foot-11 junior’s absence by getting the ball inside to Aliou Keita.
Keita responded with a career-high 23 points, shooting 11-for-17 with a variety of turnarounds, short jumpers and even a finger roll. But the Bulldogs couldn’t muster enough offense around him to dig out of their early hole.
Drake got its first 12 baskets on close-in shots and trailed just 23-22 when Keita scored in the low post midway through the first half. Mike Henderson answered with a layup for Iowa and the Hawkeyes went on to score the next 12 points.
Henderson added two free throws in the run, while Haluska and Reed each hit a 3-pointer.
Haluska, who became eligible this season after transferring from Iowa State, went 9-for-10 at the line in topping his previous best of 19 points against North Carolina in the Maui Invitational championship game.
Klayton Korver added 18 points for Drake and freshman Brent Heemskerk had 14 points and nine rebounds.
Iowa had trouble with Drake’s press early, committing six turnovers in the first 8 minutes, but offset those problems with sharp shooting. Horner made his first three 3-pointers and Iowa shot 58.8 percent in building a 52-35 halftime lead.
The Hawkeyes led 68-53 after Horner’s two free throws with 13 minutes remaining, then seemed to tire. Drake pulled to 74-61 on Lonnie Randolph’s driving shot with 8:31 to play, but the Bulldogs came up empty on their next eight possessions, ending any hope they had of mounting a serious comeback.