The Iowa Wolves defeated the Valley Suns 130-123 on Tuesday night at Mullett Arena, using a dominant third-quarter offensive performance to secure the road victory. The Wolves outscored the Suns 46-27 in the period to turn a one-point halftime lead into a commanding 20-point advantage entering the fourth quarter.

Alize Johnson led a balanced attack for the Iowa Wolves (6-4), finishing with a team-high 28 points to go along with 12 rebounds and seven assists. Jules Bernard contributed 25 points and nine rebounds, while Enrique Freeman posted a double-double with 21 points and 11 boards. Center Rocco Zikarsky also recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Nate Santos contributed off the bench, scoring 18 points on 4-for-6 shooting from 3-point range, and Jalen Crutcher added 13 points and five assists for the victorious Wolves.

The Suns (3-5) were paced by an impressive all-around performance from Damion Baugh, who tallied a game-high 30 points, with 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals in the loss. Jaden Shackelford scored 24 points, connecting on five 3-pointers. The Suns had four other players score in double figures: CJ Huntley with 18 points, Sean McDermott with 16, JaQuori McLaughlin with 11, and Alex Schumacher with 10.

The Suns built a lead as large as 14 points in the first half before the Wolves closed the second quarter on a 20-6 run to take a 58-57 advantage into the break. Iowa carried that momentum into the third quarter, shooting with remarkable efficiency to build its insurmountable lead. Despite a 39-point fourth quarter from the Suns that cut the deficit to four in the final minute, the comeback effort ultimately fell short. 

Up next: The Wolves face the Wolves again Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.

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