Iowa beats Texas A&M-Commerce 89-67 behind Payton Sandfort's 20 points, 11 rebounds
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- — Payton Sandfort scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to go with seven assists to help Iowa beat Texas A&M-Commerce 89-67 on Monday night in a season opener.
Owen Freeman added 15 points and nine rebounds for Iowa. Pryce Sandfort had 13 points, and Josh Dix and Drew Thelwell scored 10 apiece.
Payton Sandfort shot 7 of 14 from the floor and 4 of 9 from long range. The senior averaged 16.4 points and hit 94 3-pointers last season, third-most in program history.
Khaliq Abdul-Mateen scored 12 points and Scooter Williams Jr. added 11 to lead Texas A&M-Commerce.
The Hawkeyes took the lead for good midway through the first half and led 42-35 at the break. The Sandforts combined for 15 first-half points and three 3-pointers.
The Lions pulled within five points early in the second half before Iowa used a 33-9 run for an 84-55 lead with 3:42 remaining. During the stretch, Pryce Sandfort made two 3s and Freeman scored on an alley-oop dunk.
It was the first meeting between the teams. The Hawkeyes are 10-1 against the Southland Conference and have won 90 of their last 96 nonconference home games dating to 2012.
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Game Information
- Referees:
- Tim Comer
- Bill Jacobson
- Tariq Lucas
2024-25 Southland Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incarnate Word | 0-0 | - | 3-1 |
| UT Rio Grande Valley | 0-0 | - | 3-3 |
| Houston Christian | 0-0 | - | 2-2 |
| McNeese | 0-0 | - | 2-2 |
| SE Louisiana | 0-0 | - | 2-2 |
| Stephen F. Austin | 0-0 | - | 2-2 |
| Northwestern State | 0-0 | - | 2-3 |
| Nicholls | 0-0 | - | 2-4 |
| Lamar | 0-0 | - | 1-2 |
| Texas A&M-Corpus Christi | 0-0 | - | 1-3 |
| East Texas A&M | 0-0 | - | 1-4 |
| New Orleans | 0-0 | - | 1-4 |
2024-25 Big Ten Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 0-0 | - | 5-0 |
| Penn State | 0-0 | - | 5-0 |
| Wisconsin | 0-0 | - | 5-0 |
| Oregon | 0-0 | - | 4-0 |
| Rutgers | 0-0 | - | 4-0 |
| Indiana | 0-0 | - | 3-0 |
| Maryland | 0-0 | - | 4-1 |
| Michigan State | 0-0 | - | 4-1 |
| Minnesota | 0-0 | - | 4-1 |
| Northwestern | 0-0 | - | 4-1 |
| Purdue | 0-0 | - | 4-1 |
| UCLA | 0-0 | - | 4-1 |
| USC | 0-0 | - | 4-1 |
| Illinois | 0-0 | - | 3-1 |
| Michigan | 0-0 | - | 3-1 |
| Nebraska | 0-0 | - | 3-1 |
| Ohio State | 0-0 | - | 3-1 |
| Washington | 0-0 | - | 3-1 |
Men's College Basketball News