Hawkeyes Fall to No. 8 Michigan State

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa men’s basketball team fell to eighth-ranked Michigan State, 91-84, on Thursday night inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes move to 15-15 on the season and 6-13 in Big Ten play.

After trailing by six points a four minutes into the game, the Hawkeyes responded in full force.

Sophomore Pryce Sandfort sparked the Hawkeyes as he knocked down a pair of 3-pointers as Iowa went on an 8-0 scoring run to take the lead. The Hawkeyes didn’t stop there as the run went to 14-0 and 22-2 as Iowa built a 27-13 lead at the nine-minute mark. Over that stretch, the Spartans missed six straight field goals and had just one make over 11 attempts. The Michigan State offense went on a 3:52 scoring drought.

Iowa led the Spartans for just under 14 of the first 20 minutes, taking a 37-30 lead into the break. 

Junior Josh Dix got the scoring started in the second half from beyond the arc to push the lead back to double digits. Michigan State cut the deficit to five, converting an and-one with just under 14 minutes before Dix responded with a 3-pointer.

The Spartans regained the lead at 59-58 behind an 11-0 run with 14 minutes remaining. It marked the first time Iowa trailed since the score was 11-10 in the first half. Pryce Sandfort put the Hawkeyes back on top with a pair of free throws before Michigan State regained the lead for good. 

Michigan State outscored Iowa, 61-47, in the final 20 minutes. Dix led the Hawkeyes in the scoring column with 18 points on 7-of-15 from the field to go along with seven rebounds, tying a career high, while also dishing out four assists.

Seydou Traore and Payton Sandfort each added 15 points apiece. Payton Sandfort went 6-of-6 from the charity stripe and pulled in seven rebounds. Pryce Sandfort rounded out the Hawkeyes in double digits with 12 points and grabbed a career high seven rebounds.

Iowa shot 30-of-63 (47.6 percent) from the field and 9-of-23 (39.1 percent) from deep. The Hawkeyes converted on 15-of-18 (83.3 percent) from the free throw line.

Michigan State was led by Jase Richardson with 22 points.

HEAR FROM HEAD COACH FRAN MCCAFFERY
"We were in zone most of the time. Teams run the same stuff whether man or zone a lot of times. We need to come up a little more (on screens). But, 27 free throws in the second half.”

GAME NOTES

• No. 8 Michigan State rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit to down Iowa, 91-84, on Thursday night in the Hawkeyes’ regular season home finale inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
  • The Spartans outscored Iowa, 61-47, in the second half after trailing 37-30 at the break.
  • Michigan State shot 61.3 percent (19-of-31) in the second half. 
• Iowa had four players finish in double figures: Josh Dix 18, Seydou Traore 15, Payton Sandfort 15, Pryce Sandfort 12
• Dix led the team in scoring for the seventh time this season, finishing with 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting with three 3-pointers. 
  • He also tied a career high with seven rebounds and had four assists.
• Traore made 6-of-9 field goals, including two 3-point field goals en route to a season high 15 points. It was his seventh game in double figures this season.
  • His two 3-pointers tied a season-high.
• Pryce Sandfort scored 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting with two 3-pointers and had a career-high seven rebounds.
• Iowa went 9-of-23 from the 3-point line. The team has made 8+ 3-pointers in 24 games this season.
• Michigan State, who out-rebounds its opponents by 9.6 per game, had only a 36-35 advantage in the game.
• The Spartans jumped out to an 11-5 lead over the first four minutes before the Hawkeyes went on a 22-2 run over a 6:23 stretch to build a 27-13 advantage.  
  • MSU went 1-of-11 from the floor during the stretch.

UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes close out the regular season Sunday, traveling to Lincoln to face Nebraska at 11:30 a.m. (CT) at Pinnacle Bank Arena.