In an 86-77 triumph over Minnesota on Monday, Iowa Hawkeyes’ Head Coach Fran McCaffery achieved a historic milestone, securing his position as the winningest head coach in the school’s history with a total of 272 victories. Surpassing the previous record held by Tom Davis, McCaffery’s accomplishment comes as Iowa stands at an 11-6 season record.
Leading the charge for the Hawkeyes was Ben Krikke, who delivered an impressive performance, shooting 11-17, scoring 25 points, and grabbing five rebounds. Josh Dix followed closely, achieving a new career-high with 21 points and five assists, particularly excelling in the second half with 14 points. Tony Perkins contributed 13 points and five assists with a 6-9 shooting performance.
Freshman sensation Owen Freeman made a significant impact with 12 points and eight rebounds, missing just one shot throughout the game. Despite not reaching double digits, Payton Sandfort added nine points and four rebounds to the Hawkeyes’ success. Notably absent from the game was regular starter Patrick McCaffery, sidelined due to an ankle injury sustained in the previous match against Nebraska.
On the opposing side, Minnesota, led by Dawson Garcia with 30 points on a 9-17 shooting performance, faced a tough battle. Joshua Ola-Joseph contributed 15 points, shooting 7-9 from the floor, while Cam Christie rounded off the double-digit scorers with 12 points. Mike Mitchell Jr. scored seven points but made a significant impact with five assists, and Elijah Hawkins led the game with nine assists.
Fran McCaffery, Despite Minnesota’s efforts, they were outscored in the paint 56-38 and out-rebounded 37-30. The Golden Gophers’ shooting performance was notable at 48.3% from the field, but a mere 17.2% from the perimeter (5-29). Iowa, with a 53.8% overall field goal percentage and an 81.3% free-throw percentage, compensated for their limited three-pointers, making only three at 23.1%. The Hawkeye defense also capitalized on turnovers, recording 12 and converting them into 16 points.
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