Three stars from Iowa basketball’s dramatic 80-79 win vs. Northwestern

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Iowa men’s basketball (7-1, 1-0 Big Ten) earned their first Big Ten conference win of the season Tuesday night vs. Northwestern (6-3, 0-1 Big Ten) on a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Josh Dix off an inbound pass with .8 seconds left.

The thrilling victory was a sigh of relief as the Hawkeyes let the Wildcats creep back into the game after leading Northwestern by as many as 15 points early in the second half.

As a team, Iowa shot 30-for-55 (54.5%) from the field and 9-for-23 from three-point territory but missed out on points from the free-throw line by finishing 11-for-19 (57.9%). The Hawkeyes also amassed 26 total rebounds throughout the night.

Iowa’s defense collected 21 defensive rebounds and forced 12 turnovers, including seven steals and two blocks. The Hawkeyes were also able to convert 18 points off those turnovers.

While only shooting 29-for-60 (48.3%) from the field, Northwestern was efficient at the free-throw line by converting on 13-of-16 (81.3%) opportunities and fell two points shy of equaled Iowa’s point production from the paint.

With the Hawkeyes starting off the 2024-25 Big Ten slate on a positive footing, here are the three stars who led Iowa to an exhilarating victory.

Josh Dix

Dix was the clear-cut first star of the night with his clutch game-winning three-pointer to snatch an Iowa victory from the gaping jaw of defeat.

Dix finished with 22 points on 9-of-16 (56.25%) shooting, including 3-for-8 (37.5%) from three-point territory, to reach double figures for the second straight game and the fifth time this season.

He also had six rebounds and one assist and was 1-for-1 (100%) from the free-throw line in 38 minutes of game time. 

His last-second shot saved Iowa from what would have been a disappointing loss as the Hawkeyes allowed Northwestern to scratch and claw back into the game after leading the Wildcats for much of the game.

Payton Sandfort

Sandfort finished with 20 points on 6-of-14 (42.86%) shooting from the field, including 4-for-9 (44.4%) from…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/three-stars-iowa-basketball-dramatic-161038423.html

Author : Hawkeyes Wire

Publish date : 2024-12-05 16:10:00

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