PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA – The Iowa Hawkeyes stayed unbeaten this season after they thumped the Ole Miss Rebels Tuesday night in California’s Acrisure Classic by a score of 74-69, led by guard Bennett Stirtz’s 29-point sharp-shooting exhibition.
Iowa improved to 6-0 with a 74-69 victory over Ole Miss (5-1) on Tuesday night in the opening game of the Acrisure Classic. The victory is Iowa’s first over an SEC opponent since 2010 – a win over Alabama in the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas. It is the Hawkeyes’ sixth win against an SEC opponent since 2000.
Head coach Ben McCollum improves to 6-0 out of the gates in his Hawkeye tenure – the fourth-longest streak by a first-year coach in program history.
Iowa had two players land in double figures: Bennett Stirtz (29), Cooper Koch (14)
Stirtz led all scorers with 29 points (one off a career high), making 9-of-20 field goals and six 3-pointers, tying a career high. It was his third 20-point game of the season (37th of his career). He had three rebounds and two assists. Stirtz played all 40 minutes for the third time this season and for the 44th time in his career.
Koch posted his first career double-double, tying a career-high with 14 points and grabbing a career-best 10 rebounds in 34 minutes.
Junior Alvaro Folgueiras had seven points and two assists. He has 18 assists without a turnover this season.
The Hawkeyes committed just seven turnovers in the game – a season low. Iowa had one turnover in the second half.
Iowa forced 10 turnovers in the first half and 13 turnovers in the game.
Neither team led by more than six points in the opening half. Ole Miss hit its only 3-pointer of the half as time expired to send the game into the break tied at 31.
UP NEXT
Iowa returns to the court Wednesday, facing Grand Canyon at 8:30 p.m. (CT) in the Acrisure Classic. Grand Canyon (4-2) thumped Utah Tuesday, 68-58, despite going 0-10 from 3-point raange in the contest. The game will be televised on the CBS Sports Network.
