STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Adam Haluska scored a career-high 29 points as Iowa held off Penn State 80-76 on Saturday.
Haluska shot 9-of-17 from the floor, including 6-of-10 from behind the arc, as the Hawkeyes (13-4, 2-1 Big Ten) withstood a late charge from the Nittany Lions (9-5, 1-2) in the final four minutes for their second straight win.
Greg Brunner drew a foul off of an offensive rebound with 48 seconds remaining and hit both free throws to put the Hawkeyes up 74-73. On the ensuing possession, Jamelle Cornley’s pass intended for Geary Claxton was off target. Iowa then hit 6-of-8 free throws after the turnover to put the game away.
After trailing for much of the second half, the Nittany Lions turned the tables with a 9-0 run that gave them a 68-66 lead after Mike Walker hit his fourth 3-pointer of the half with 3:57 to go.
From there it was a back-and-forth affair, with both sides trading baskets until Brunner put the Hawkeyes up for good.
Iowa shot 48 percent from the field on the game while getting 17 points from Jeff Horner and 13 from Brunner.
Cornley led Penn State in scoring, tying a career-high with his second 20-point showing in three games. The Nittany Lions also got 19 points from Travis Parker to go with 14 from Walker and 12 from Claxton.
The Hawkeyes were all Haluska in the first half, as he scored 21 of Iowa’s 40 points before the break. After Penn State pulled on top 20-15 midway through the first frame, Iowa went on a 14-0 run that was fueled by three Haluska 3-pointers.
After relying heavily on 3-point shots in the first half, Iowa switched gears after the break, frequently working the ball inside with success.