PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The University of Iowa men’s basketball team defeated Ole Miss, 74-69, on Tuesday night in the opening game of the Acrisure Classic at Acrisure Arena. The Hawkeyes move to 6-0 on the season.
Both teams got off to a slow start offensively with the Hawkeyes and Rebels combining to start 3-of-11 from the field. The Hawkeye defense forced Ole Miss into four turnovers in its first eight possessions while holding them to a 1-of-6 start from the field. The Rebels were held scoreless for more than six minutes.
After losing the lead briefly, senior Bennett Stirtz went on a 7-0 personal run to give the Hawkeyes a 14-8 advantage. Iowa used another spurt, outscoring Ole Miss, 9-0, to take a 27-22 lead. At the half the game was tied 31-31.
Stirtz led all scorers with 11 points in the first 20 minutes. Junior Cam Manyawu added four rebounds, two steals and an assist. Iowa forced Ole Miss into 10 first half turnovers.
After trailing by one with just over seven minutes to play, Iowa would use a 10-2 run to create a 64-57 advantage with over four minutes remaining. Iowa would protect its lead for the rest of the game. The Hawkeyes iced the game from the free throw line as they earned their first win over a SEC opponent since 2010.
Stirtz would catch fire in the second half, scoring 18 points while shooting 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. The Liberty, Missouri, native finished with 29 points, three rebounds and two assists. Redshirt freshman Cooper Koch notched his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Hawkeyes shot 24-of-56 (42.9) from the field and 8-of-22 (36.4) from 3-point range. Iowa shot 18-of-24 (75.0) from the charity stripe. The Hawkeyes finished with just seven turnovers, a season low, including just one in the second half.
