The 22nd-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes avoided a second-half collapse at home against the Northern Iowa Panthers as they pulled off a 92-86 victory on Friday night. The Hawkeyes shot the ball slightly better to avoid an upset inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The Panthers (5-6) are now 1-2 on the road the season and had a strong 49-39 run in the second half to keep this game close. The Hawkeyes (10-2) remain a perfect 5-0 at home and were led by four players, including three starters, score at least 15 points.
Let’s take a deeper dive into the box scores for both teams to discuss how this game went.
Northern Iowa vs. Iowa box score
Northern Iowa vs. Iowa box score
Northern Iowa Panthers box score
Iowa Hawkeyes box score
Northern Iowa vs. Iowa Game Summary
The Northern Iowa Panthers are coming off a great offensive showing as the team went 31-of-64 (48.4%) from the floor, 9-of-25 (36.0%) from the 3-point line, and 15-of-22 (68.2%) from the free-throw line.
The Panthers struggled a bit on the glass as they tallied 28 total rebounds (seven offensive, 21 defensive) but they also played isolation basketball as the program had nine assists on 31 made baskets.
Northern Iowa had nine turnovers but made up for it by playing quickly with 17 fast break points and 36 points in the paint. Defensively, they had six steals and three blocks. However, they never held a lead at any point in this game.
The 22nd-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes also were solid on the offensive side of the court with the Hawkeyes connecting on 31-of-62 (50.0%) from the field, 10-of-26 (38.5%) from beyond the arc, and 20-of-22 (90.9%) from the charity stripe.
Iowa used their size to their advantage with 39 rebounds (10 offensive, 29 defensive) and 26 assists. The defense needed to be better with just four steals and three blocks.
However, they played slightly better in the paint with 40 points and three fast break points. The Hawkeyes held an 18-point lead but wound up with a six-point victory.
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