IOWA CITY — Iowa men’s basketball put on an efficient offensive display in its 89-74 win over Southern University on Thursday.
Iowa did not shoot particularly well in the regular-season opener Monday but was scorching hot on Thursday. Against Southern, the Hawkeyes shot 53.3% from the field and 45% from deep. Meanwhile, Southern shot 47.7% from the field and 31.6% from three.
Seven Hawkeyes hit at least one 3-pointer. Iowa made 18 3-pointers as a team.
Iowa got scoring from a variety of players, including five in double-figures: Payton Sandfort, Pryce Sandfort, Owen Freeman, Drew Thelwell and Josh Dix.
Through two games this season, Pryce Sandfort has been an offensive weapon for Iowa. He followed up his 13-point outing against Texas A&M-Commerce with a team-high 22 points on Thursday. The sophomore was an efficient 8-of-10 from the field, including 6-of-8 from deep.
“He’s been playing like that. He really has been since the summer,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said of Pryce Sandfort. “Really consistently shooting the ball well, consistently playing well at both ends. Been much more aggressive driving the ball, making plays.
Video: Fran McCaffery discusess Iowa’s win over Southern University
Fran McCaffery discusses a variety of topics following Iowa’s win over Southern University on Thursday.
Payton Sandfort, who flirted with a triple-double against Texas A&M-Commerce, was in that neighborhood again on Thursday. He finished the game with 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. He did commit six turnovers, however.
Reigning Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year Owen Freeman added 15 points and eight rebounds and three blocks on Thursday.
Iowa got off to a much better start on Thursday than it did against Texas A&M-Commerce. The Hawkeyes led by only seven points at halftime Monday and it took until the second half to gain some more substantial separation.
Against Southern, Iowa came out in much more decisive fashion. The Hawkeyes led by as many as 16 in the first half and, even though they hit a lull, held an 11-point advantage at the break.
The Hawkeyes were in pretty clear control for a majority of the contest. Iowa led by 25 with a little more than three minutes remaining but closed the contest in unimpressive fashion, making the final score tighter than it should’ve been.
“I just think we just need to take some more pride in getting stops,” Freeman said. “Because we were up (25). In Big Ten play we might not be up (25). We could be down nine and one of those stops could be huge. So we kinda got to think ahead to the future.”
Owen Freeman: Iowa needs to take ‘more pride in getting stops’ defensively
Owen Freeman discusses a variety of topics following Iowa’s win over Southern University on Thursday.
Iowa went with the same starting lineup as it did in the exhibition in the regular-season opener: Brock Harding, Josh Dix, Payton Sandfort, Ladji Dembele and Freeman.
Dembele had five points and eight rebounds. Dix scored 14. Harding had three points and six assists.
Along with Pryce Sandfort, Drew Thewell was very good off the bench for the second consecutive game. Thelwell, a Morehead State transfer, pitched in 12 points on 3-of-7 from deep.
Video: Pryce Sandfort talks career-high 22 points in win over Southern
Pryce Sandfort discusses a variety of topics following Iowa’s win over Southern University on Thursday.
Manhattan transfer Seydou Traore missed his second consecutive game due to injury. Iowa coach Fran McCaffery previously described it as a “bum wheel,” but did not seem concerned about it being a long-term issue. Traore’s blend of size and athleticism made him an intriguing offseason addition but his regular-season debut at Iowa continues to be put on hold.
McCaffery was optimistic postgame that Traore will make his Iowa debut on Tuesday.
Iowa plays one more lower-level opponent before taking a step up in competition. The Hawkeyes host South Dakota on Tuesday, but then face Washington State on Friday in Moline, Illinois. The game in the Quad Cities will serve as a homecoming for Freeman and Harding, who won a 4A state championship at Moline High School together as seniors.
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com
