Iowa City, IA – The Iowa Hawkeyes tipped off their 2024-25 men’s basketball season with a exhibition victory over the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The game began with Iowa taking control early, thanks to a strong performance from Owen Freeman, who was a force in the paint. Freeman’s efficiency was evident as he went 6-for-6 from the field in the first half, contributing significantly to Iowa’s 43-34 lead at halftime. Payton Sandfort also made his presence felt, scoring 10 points and grabbing 3 rebounds in the first 20 minutes.
Iowa’s defense was equally impressive, limiting the Bulldogs to 39.5 percent shooting from the field. The Hawkeyes’ ability to force turnovers and capitalize on them was a key factor, with Josh Dix and Brock Harding leading the charge with their defensive efforts.
The second half saw the Hawkeyes extend their lead, thanks to a balanced offensive attack and continued defensive pressure. Payton Sandfort continued his stellar play, finishing the game with 23 points and 8 rebounds. Dix was another standout, scoring 22 points and dishing out three assists. Freeman finished with 21 points and eight rebounds.
Iowa’s bench also made significant contributions, with Pryce Sandfort adding 11 points and Cooper Koch providing solid minutes. The team’s depth was on full display, as they outscored Minnesota Duluth 59-47 in the second half.
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH FRAN MCCAFFERY
“In the first half our rebounding was not good, and we had too many turnovers. We took care of that in the second half, I’m proud of the guys for that. When you schedule a game like this, you know who you’re playing. We scheduled a team with winning DNA, a team that is averaging 25 to 26 wins a year, and a team that has veteran players. They are physical and they are very well coached. We wanted to play a team like them.”
GAME NOTABLES
• Iowa’s big three – Payton Sandfort, Owen Freeman and Josh Dix – combined for 66 of the team’s 102 points in the victory. The trio combined to make 28-of-40 field goals, shooting 70 percent in the game.
• Sandfort scored 23 on 9-of-16 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and five assists.
• Dix scored 22, making 9-of-12 field goals, with 17 coming in the second half.
• Freeman netted 21 on 10-of-12 shooting and had a game-high eight rebounds.
• Sophomore Pryce Sandfort scored 11 points – all in the second half.
• The Hawkeyes used an 9-0 spurt out of the half to build a 52-34 lead. Iowa built a 20-point lead (60-40) at the 16:04 mark and led by as many as 24 (102-78).
• Iowa shot better than 50 percent in both halves – 57.6 (19-of-33) in the first and 61.1 (22-of 36) in the second half. The team finished with a 59.4 field goal percentage in the game.
• The Hawkeyes had 19 assists on 41 field goals.
• Iowa went on an 13-2 run in the first half to build a 23-13 lead. The Hawkeyes made their final five field goals to take a 43-34 lead into the locker room.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes open the regular season Nov. 4, hosting Texas A&M Commerce at 7 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court.
