IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) –Adam Haluska scored a career-high 31 points, including 23 in the second half, as Iowa pulled away late and beat Coppin State 83-67 in the title game of the Hawkeye Challenge.
Haluska scored 20 points in the final 10 minutes for Iowa (4-4), which picked up its second straight win after losing four in a row.
After trailing by as much as 17 late in the first half, Coppin State (2-6) got within 48-46 with 12 minutes left. The Eagles, who opened the second half with a 22-10 run, converted two free throws after Iowa’s bench received a technical foul. Tywain McKee followed with a layup to bring Coppin State within two.
Haluska carried Iowa out of danger. He hit three 3-pointers and converted a 3-point play to key a 23-9 run that gave the Hawkeyes a 73-57 lead with 4:02 left.
Freshman Tyler Smith had 16 for Iowa, and Justin Johnson added 13. McKee led four Eagles in double figures with 18.
The Hawkeyes broke an early tie with a 25-11 run to end the first half. Reserve forward J.R. Angle scored six points during a 2:27 stretch – one more than his career high entering play – and Johnson and Haluska each buried a pair of 3-pointers to help give Iowa a 38-24 halftime lead.
Iowa came out on fire after a sluggish win over Texas-Pan American on Friday. Smith opened the scoring with an alley-oop dunk, Kurt Looby followed with a block and Haluska made it a 4-0 lead with a fast-break layup.
But the Hawkeyes’ shooting touch quickly cooled. Coppin State took advantage, tying the game at 13 with 7:39 left in the first half.
Iowa senior guard Mike Henderson made his season debut eight minutes in. Henderson, who fractured his pinkie finger on Oct. 31 and missed seven games, scored one point in eight minutes.