SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – The University of Iowa men’s basketball team earned its first road win on Wednesday night, defeating Seton Hall, 83-67, in its first contest away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season.
Iowa’s victory moves the Big Ten Conference to a 4-1 start over the Big East in the annual Gavitt Tipoff Games between the two leagues.
Junior Kris Murray and fifth-year Filip Rebrača each posted double-doubles against the Pirates, as Murray matched a career-high 29 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Those figures match Murray’s exact output from last year’s victory over Indiana, a previous high watermark.
“It is something that I know I am capable of doing,” says Murray. “It wasn’t as surreal as it was against Indiana, because that was my first time doing it. I expect to play well now. I just keep my businesslike approach to it. I just did what I could to help the team win tonight.”
Murray shot 50 percent (10-of-20) from the floor while going 6-of-6 from the free throw line and draining a game-high three buckets from behind the arc. He added one assist and one forceful block through 37 minutes, posting +/- of 14 to help secure the 16-point Hawkeye win.
✌️ career 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲-𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 for No. 24
29 points, 11 rebounds @KrisMurray24 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/xBLhkr9jeL
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) November 17, 2022
Rebraca stuffed his own stat sheet, hauling in 10 points and 11 rebounds to go along with one assist, two steals and four blocks on the night. His +/- 16 was a game-high. Rebraca earned his 27th career double-double — his second of the season.
𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘁 📈
10 pts | 11 reb | 4 blk | 2 stl | 1 ast@FRebraca x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/3dgDWbUuqH
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) November 17, 2022
Junior Tony Perkins led the Hawkeyes with five assists and three steals in the contest to go along with 18 points. Redshirt junior Patrick McCaffery rounded out Iowa’s double-digit scorers, posting 11 points and five rebounds.
Iowa scored 18 points off 16 forced turnovers in a strong defensive outing. The Hawkeyes shot 28-of-33 (.848) from the free throw stripe, including 19-of-21 (.905) in the second half.
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH FRAN MCCAFFERY
“I told [Coach Shaheen Holloway] I really like his team. I was impressed with them live. They really compete. They were a reflection of him in many ways. They jumped us [to go ahead] 10-3. Proud of our guys, how we handled that. They’ve got a lot weapons. They’re going to be a force in that league this year, no question…
When you play a team that really comes after you the way they do, with defensive pressure, with physicality, and then they come after you offensively off the dribble, they are attacking you on defense and they are attacking you on offense. You have to be able to handle that without turning it over. We only had eight turnovers. I consider our team a really good ball handling team. We led the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio last year. We move and share the ball. Well, they don’t make it easy. We sometimes had to keep it on the bounce a little bit longer than normal. Guys aren’t open as easily or quickly. Then you have got to go make buckets through contact, and we did that.”
HAWKEYE NOTABLES
- The Hawkeyes had two players register double-doubles tonight: Kris Murray (29 & 11) and Filip Rebraca (10 &11).
- Kris Murray, who posted his second career double-double, reached 20 points for the fourth time in his career and second straight game. Murray finished tonight’s contest tying a personal best with 29 points. He netted 12 of Iowa’s first 16 points. Murray also snagged 11 rebounds.
- Patrick McCaffery tallied 11 points, reaching double digits all three contests this season and 30 times in his career.
- Filip Rebraca stuffed the stat sheet tonight, posting his second double-double of the season and 27th of his career. Rebraca totaled 10 points, 11 rebounds, and posting season bests in blocks (4) and steals (2).
- Tony Perkins scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half. He also led the squad in assists (5) and steals (3). Perkins has dished out 5+ assists in all three games this season.
- Iowa posted season highs in both free throws made (28) and attempted (33).
- The Hawkeyes had scoring spurts of 12-0 and 10-0 in the first half, their sixth and seventh scoring runs of 10-0 or better through three games.
- Iowa held Seton Hall to 22 first-half points, the fewest points scored by an Iowa opponent this season.
- Iowa improved to 2-2 in Gavitt Games contests, winning both games on the road (Marquette in 2015).
- Tonight was Iowa’s first road game of the season.
- Iowa improved to 2-1 all-time against Seton Hall. Tonight was Iowa’s first ever visit to the Prudential Center (2007).
That road-dub feeling… 😎#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/nMHEa1B34h
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) November 17, 2022
UP NEXT
Iowa returns to action Monday, Nov. 21, against Omaha in an Emerald Coast Classic preliminary game. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.
