Iowa recovered from shaky beginnings to run past visiting Texas A&M Commerce in Monday’s season opener.
While the Hawkeyes aspire to be sharp throughout when Southern visits Iowa City on Thursday, they now know there’s precedent for overcoming early struggles.
“Guys really stepped up their game in the second half when we had to,” forward Payton Sandfort said. “And now we can hold everyone accountable to that.”
Sandfort paced Iowa (1-0) with a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Owen Freeman contributed 15 points and nine boards.
Iowa led by only seven at the break before pulling away for an 89-67 victory.
Sandfort lauded the contributions of Morehead State transfer Drew Thelwell for helping the Hawkeyes create distance down the stretch.
One of five Iowa scorers in double figures, Thelwell had 10 points and a pair of steals in his Hawkeyes debut.
“He won. He made plays. He really sparked the game,” Sandfort said. “And then from there, we just took over.”
Southern started the season with a 93-79 loss at South Dakota on Monday, committing 17 turnovers while allowing the Coyotes to shoot 51.6 percent from the field.
The Jaguars (0-1) stayed afloat behind 30 points from Tidjiane Dioumassi, a preseason all-SWAC First Team honoree, while DaMariee Jones and Brentay Noel chipped in 11 points apiece. Jones added nine rebounds and Noel collected six rebounds and two blocked shots.
“It’s going to be a matter of blending in new players with the guys who have experience,” Jaguars coach Kevin Johnson said.
As with many programs, the Hawkeyes can attest. After Monday, they have something from which to build.
“I’m glad we battled through some adversity,” Sandfort said. “We really found our stride. The defense was really good for a long stretch in the second half and I’m proud of the way that a lot of guys contributed. … We’ll continue to just keep getting better. But it’s good that we had to fight through this and come out on top.”
Iowa leads the all-time series 2-0, winning comfortably on its home floor both times. The schools last met in 2020, with the Hawkeyes earning a 103-76 victory.
