KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The University of Iowa men’s basketball team lost 77-69, to Utah State Friday night at the T-Mobile Center in the Hall of Fame Classic. The loss was Iowa’s first setback of the season (5-1), while the Aggies improved to 5-0.
Mason Falslev netted game highs in points (25) and rebounds (12), while Ian Martinez tallied 13 points and a game-best six assists to lead Utah State. The Aggies owned a plus-16 advantage on the glass, including grabbing 15 offensive rebounds, and outscoring the Hawkeyes 24-12 in second chance points.
Sophomores Brock Harding (19) and Owen Freeman (18) combined to score 37 points. Senior guard Payton Sandfort registered 14 points despite a cold night shooting, going 4-of-18 from the field, including 1-of-13 from long distance.
The Hawkeyes took a four-point advantage into halftime, 37-33. Iowa dominated the paint over the first 20 minutes, scoring 24 points compared to Utah State’s 16. Freeman had 10 points and five rebounds in the first half.
Utah State used a 9-0 scoring run midway through the second half to gain momentum. The Aggies shot 56 percent from the field in the second half, compared to 44 percent for the Hawkeyes.
Harding scored 15 points of his career-high 19 points in the second half, including three 3-pointers. Freeman added eight points and secured six rebounds, posting a double-double (18 points and 11 rebounds).