IOWA CITY – Iowa (7-5) faced a pesky UMBC (5-9) Wednesday night in Carver Hawkeye Arena but a late first half run by the Hawkeyes put the Retrievers away for good in a 103-81 victory.
Iowa trailed 29-25 with 6:51 to go in the first half before outscoring the UMBC Retrievers, 25-7, to take a 50-36 lead into the locker room. The Hawkeyes made 12 of their final 13 field goal attempts over the final 6:33 of the opening half.
It was Iowa’s first 50 point half since game seven against North Florida and the fourth 50-point half of the season.
Iowa eclipsed the century mark for the third time this season. It is the 12th 100 point game since the start of the 2021-22 season.
Junior Payton Sandfort posted his second career double-double, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds to go along with a career-high six assists. The forward went 7-of-12 from the field, including four 3-point field goals.
It is Sandfort’s fourth game this season with four or more 3-pointers. He has made two or more 3-pointers in seven consecutive games.
via hawkeyesports.com
Perkins has 14 assists over Iowa’s last two games.
Freshman Brock Harding posted his first career double-double, finishing with 10 points and 12 assists. He also had a career-high four steals.
It is Iowa’s first points-assists double-double since Joe Toussaint in 2021.
Harding’s 12 assists are the most by a Hawkeye freshman since Jordan Bohannon’s 13 against TCU in 2017 in the NIT.
Harding has three games with seven or more assists this season. The 12 assists are the most by a Hawkeye this season.
Harding is the 21st player with 10+ assists in a game in school history.
Graduate Ben Krikke notched his first double-double of the season (and fourth of his career), finishing with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds.
It is his 10th game in double figures this season.
It is the first time since 2013 that Iowa has had three double-doubles in the same game – Jarrod Uthoff, Melsahn Basabe and Gabriel Olaseni – against Farleigh Dickinson.
Farleigh Dickinson and UMBC are the only two No. 16 seeds to beat No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
Iowa had five players finish in double figures in the game. It is the third time this season the Hawkeyes have had at least five players in double digits.
Iowa assisted on 15 of its 20 field goals in the first half and 33 of 42 field goals in the game.
The 33 assists are a season high – one shy of the Iowa single game school record.
The Hawkeyes scored a season-high 66 points in the paint in the game.
Up Next
The Hawkeyes host their final nonconference game of the season Dec. 29, hosting Northern Illinois at 6 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The game will be streamed live on B1G+.
