Hawks hold off UCLA comeback attempt, win 74-61

The Iowa Hawkeyes shot a blistering 56% in the first half to build a 24-point lead. They fought off a UCLA comeback attempt but were able to complete the 74-61 victory.

Bennett Stirtz led the way with 27 points on 8/10 shooting and 5 assists, as Ben McCollum had to manage his minutes as he notched his 4th foul with 8:23 remaining. Donovan Dent was as advertised for UCLA, going for 25 points, making 12/19 and getting to the rim at will in the second half amidst their furious comeback attempt.

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The Hawks’ offense got absolutely rolling in the first half when Alvaro Folgueiras, who had been spotty against power conference competition, checked in. After a turnover on his first possession, he went on to make 3 three pointers on his first 3 shot attempts to build the lead to 17-7, Iowa.

Bennett Stirtz, who was quiet through the first 10 minutes of the game made his first basket on a 1v2 fast break where he drew an and-1. Including that basket, he scored 14 of Iowa’s 19 next points, which coincided with that 24-point lead.

The Bruins were able to go on an 8-2 run to close the half, as Iowa missed a pair of buckets in the final 10 seconds and Donovan Dent was able to convert an and-one the other way.

UCLA continued to chip into the Hawks lead as they ramped up the defensive pressure on Iowa. A press contributed to two quick baskets as a part of a 10-0 run which cut the Hawkeye lead to 45-34. Throughout that time, Dent scored or assisted on 7 straight UCLA baskets.

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Iowa’s offense continued to stagnate, with a Stirtz jumper with 9:23 left in the game was Iowa’s only basket amidst about 12 minutes of gametime. In that timeframe, the lead moved from 45-24 to 55-48. Dent was sensational during this stretch.

Amidst the Bruins’ onslaught, Stirtz picked up his 4th and McCollum was faced with a decision. He pulled him for about 3 minutes before bringing him back in. A Tate Sage layup off a pass from Folgueiras extended the lead back to 9.

UCLA’s first (and…

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Publish date : 2026-01-04 01:25:00

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