IOWA CITY – Iowa defeated Western Michigan, 109-61, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Iowa scored a season-high 109 points. The Hawkeyes have topped the century mark in three of five games this season (Longwood, Alabama State, Western Michigan).
Keegan Murray, the Big Ten’s leading scorer, led the team in scoring for the fifth straight game to start the season. The Big Ten’s leading scorer totaled a personal-best 29 points, to go along with six rebounds, three blocks and two steals. The sophomore forward is one of two players from a major conference to start the season with 24+ points in each of their first five games (Kansas State’s Michael Beasley in 2007-08).
Keegan Murray scored Iowa’s first 17 points and reached 20 points in the first 11 minutes.
Iowa, who leads the Big Ten in free throw accuracy, missed only two free throws tonight (21-of-23).
Sophomore guard Tony Perkins and freshman guard Payton Sandfort each reached double figures for the second time this season. Sandfort netted 19 points, while Perkins had 15 points. Sandfort knocked down five 3-pointers for the second straight game.
Sophomore Ahron Ulis had a career-high eight assists.
Iowa has made a combined 32 3-pointers over its last two games (12 tonight and 20 versus Alabama State).
Redshirt sophomore forward Patrick McCaffery (lower body injury) and Josh Ogundele (illness) did not play.
Iowa has won 75 of its last 80 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
Iowa improved to 86-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points over the last 12 seasons.
The Hawkeyes had a 13-0 scoring run in the first half. Iowa has had scoring runs of 10-0 or more a combined eight times in five games.
Tonight was the first meeting between the two teams since 1951.
