Alize Johnson scores 41, goes 8-for-8 from 3 as Wolves top Suns

Updated: Jan 22, 2026, 06:19 pm

Alize Johnson scored a season-high 41 points, including a perfect 8-for-8 performance from 3-point range, to lead the Iowa Wolves to a 137-127 victory over the Valley Suns on Thursday night at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona. The win marked the second victory for the Wolves over the Suns in three days, completing a two-game road sweep.

Johnson, who also pulled down 10 rebounds for a double-double, led a high-powered offensive attack for the Wolves (7-4). Six other Iowa players scored in double figures. Jules Bernard contributed 20 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds, while Enrique Freeman also scored 20 points to go with 7 boards. Nate Santos provided a spark off the bench with 18 points, and Jalen Crutcher added 16 points and six assists. Rocco Zikarsky chipped in with 11 points for Iowa, which shot 59% from the field.

The Valley Suns (3-6) were led by Damion Baugh, who recorded a double-double with 29 points and 11 assists. Jaden Shackelford continued his hot shooting, scoring 25 points and hitting five 3-pointers, marking his fourth consecutive game with at least five made 3s. The Suns had six players reach double-digit scoring in the loss. CJ Huntley finished with 17 points before fouling out, while Tyrese Samuel scored 13 points off the bench. Marcus Burk added 13 points, and Sean McDermott scored 12.

Iowa built a lead as large as 21 points in the third quarter before the Suns mounted a comeback, cutting the deficit to four points in the final period. However, Johnson's historic shooting performance proved too much to overcome. The Suns shot an efficient 58% from the field but were hampered by 12-of-18 shooting from the free throw line.

Up next: The Valley Suns visit the Santa Cruz Warriors on Saturday, Jan. 17, at 10 p.m. EST on Roku, NBC Sports BA+ and Samsung TV Plus. The Iowa Wolves host the Long Island Nets on Sunday, Jan. 18, at 4 p.m. EST on NBA TV.

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