Hawkeyes Crush New Hampshire, Close Out Non-conference Play

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa men’s basketball team defeated New Hampshire, 112-70, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Monday night.  The win, marked by a balanced offensive attack and stifling defense, closed out non-conference play for the Hawkeyes who improve to 10-3 on the season. Iowa heads into Big Ten play 1-1 in conference games.

From the opening tip, Iowa set the tone with an aggressive offense and relentless defense. The Hawkeyes jumped to an early lead, finishing the first half with a commanding, 62-33 advantage. Iowa shot 23-of-59 (59%) from the field and 6-of-17 (35.3%) from beyond the arc. The Hawkeyes bench contributed with 29 first half points while the defense was able to force eight first half turnovers.

Senior Payton Sandfort led the charge in the first 20 minutes, scoring 11 points and grabbing three rebounds. Graduate guard Drew Thelwell scored nine points on a perfect 4-of-4 from the field while adding four assists.

The second half saw no let-up from the Hawkeyes. They continued to dominate, outscoring the Wildcats, 50-37. Sophomore Seydou Traore was instrumental in maintaining Iowa's momentum, contributing 14 points and a career-high six assists for the game. Iowa's defense was equally impressive, forcing 10 second half turnovers.

Payton Sandfort finished with 15 points to lead the Hawkeyes while freshman Cooper Koch marked a career-best with 14 points. Ladji Dembele set a career-high with 12 points while junior Josh Dix and sophomore Pryce Sandfort rounded out the Hawkeyes in double digits with 11 points apiece.

Iowa's shooting efficiency was a key factor in their victory. The Hawkeyes shot 45-of-74 from the field (60.8%), including 10-of-29 (34.5%) from deep. Their aggressive play in the paint resulted in 64 points, and their fast break opportunities added another 33 points.

The Iowa defense held New Hampshire to 28-of-69 (40.6%) from the field and 8-of-26 (30.8%) from three-point range.

GAME NOTES

• Iowa eclipsed the 100-point mark for a third time this season, finishing with 112 points -- tied for the second-most points in the Fran McCaffery era. 
• The Hawkeyes made 45 field goals in the game, the most under McCaffery. 
• Iowa scored 62 points in the first half – the most by a Big Ten team since 2022.
  • The Hawkeyes have scored 50 or more points in three of their last six halves.
• Six players reached double figures and 12 players scored: Payton Sandfort 15, Cooper Koch 14, Seydou Traore 14, Ladji Dembele 12, Josh Dix 11, Pryce Sandfort 11
• The Hawkeyes shot 60.6 percent (45-of-74).  It is the third time this season the team has shot better than 60 percent from the field.
• Koch (14) and Dembele (12) registered career highs, while Traore’s 14 points were his high as a Hawkeye.
• Traore also had a team-high six assists and three blocks, while grabbing three rebounds. He finished 6-of-10 from the field.
• Koch made 4-of-7 field goals, including a career-high three 3-pointers.  It was the first time he has landed in double digits.
• Sophomore Owen Freeman did not play.
• Iowa’s reserves scored 57 points and the team scored 64 points in the paint.
• The Hawkeyes made 10 3-pointers for the seventh time this season and had 27 assists (against nine turnovers).
  • Iowa has 20+ assists in six games. The 27assists are one off tying a season high.
  • The Hawkeyes have had 10 or fewer turnovers in seven games.

UP NEXT
Iowa returns to action Friday, traveling to Madison to face Wisconsin at 6 p.m. (CT) at the Kohl Center.  The game will be televised on FS1.