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Hawkeye men continue late-season surge with 87-80 win at Northwestern
Iowa took the lead early in the second half and never relinquished it, shooting 63 percent in the second half. It’s the Hawkeyes’ fourth win in the last five games. The vanquished includes Michigan State and Wisconsin.
Mar. 2, 2024 6:57 pm, Updated: Mar. 3, 2024 8:38 am
(This story was written in Cedar Rapids.)
EVANSTON, Ill. — Iowa has shoved its way into plain sight of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament selection committee.
The Hawkeyes continued their late-season push Saturday with a Quad 1 win, 87-80 over Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Arena. It was Iowa’s fourth victory in its last five games, and the Wildcats’ first loss in nine Big Ten home contests.
At 10-9, Iowa has climbed over .500 in the Big Ten for the first time this season. It is 18-12 overall. Northwestern dropped to 11-7 in the conference, 20-9 total.
The Hawkeyes have a chance for another high-profile win in their remaining regular-season contest, at home March 9 against No. 13 Illinois (22-7, 13-5 Big Ten).
Iowa started the second half down 37-36, but immediately went on a 14-6 run for a 50-43 edge and pushed it to 59-48. The Wildcats rallied back to get within 67-65 with 5:43 left, but never got fully caught up.
It was 77-74 with 1:42 left after Wildcat senior guard Boo Buie (25 points, 6-of-7 from deep) hit a 3-pointer, but a three-point play off a baseline drive by Payton Sandfort kept Northwestern at bay.
Iowa sophomore guard Josh Dix scored a career-high 24 points, his third-straight game of 20-plus. Dix was 4-of-5 from 3-point distance and his team was 10-of-20.
“I feel we really shared the ball and trusted one another in the second half, and it led to a lot of open looks,” Dix said on the Hawkeye Radio Network postgame show.
Sandfort had 23 points and six assists, and senior guard Tony Perkins had 14 assists, one shy of his career-high.
“A really, really impressive performance by so many different people,” Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery said.
Patrick McCaffery called for the ball in the right corner and Perkins fed him with 41 seconds left. McCaffery swished a 3-pointer for an 83-76 lead, and the Wildcats never came closer than five points after that.
After halftime, Iowa shot 63 percent and out-rebounded the Wildcats, 17-8. The Hawkeyes made just five turnovers in the game.
Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com
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