IOWA CITY — The Iowa men’s basketball team entered the halftime break against Rutgers on Saturday in all-too-familiar fashion.

The Hawkeyes, who led by as many as 16 late in the first half, had that advantage get sliced down — in part due to three awful possessions to end the half. Rutgers hit a three and then, out of a timeout, Iowa turned the ball over before the Scarlet Knights drained another shot from deep.

Iowa, as it has done previously this season, finished the first half on a sour note.

The Hawkeyes still led 41-34, but it felt like it could’ve been much more.

“In the locker room, we were talking about, we have to start fast, we have to throw the first punch,” junior Payton Sandfort said.

They did. And Sandfort played a major part in it.

Game story: Iowa basketball earns first Big Ten win of season with victory over Rutgers

In a span of just more than two minutes to start the second half, Sandfort scored eight points, which included knocking down two triples.

That stretch did not put away Rutgers outright, but it did keep the Scarlet Knights an arm’s distance away after a conclusion to the first half in which they seized some momentum.

It was part of an outstanding performance for Sandfort, who had a season-high 24 points on an extremely efficient 8-of-12 from the field, 5-of-8 from deep and 3-of-3 from the free throw line. It helped the Hawkeyes to an 86-77 victory over Rutgers, marking a breakthrough first Big Ten win this season for Iowa.

Sandfort said postgame: “The basket felt like the ocean, which was a good feeling.”

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Fran McCaffery talks becoming program’s leader in Big Ten wins

Iowa coach Fran McCaffery discusses a variety of topics following the Hawkeyes’ win over Rutgers.

Saturday’s performance does amplify the notion that Sandfort might just be the most important player to Iowa’s success this season.

There’s irony in that claim because, even in the absence of Patrick McCaffery on Saturday due to illness, Iowa got contributions from a handful of players. 

Ben Krikke, who has turned out to be a phenomenal addition from the transfer portal, had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Owen Freeman, who is proving to be one of the best freshmen in the Big Ten, and veteran Tony Perkins chipped in 15 points each. Josh Dix, making his second career start, stuffed the stat sheet with seven points, four rebounds and four assists.

Krikke, Freeman and Perkins are among the players who are paramount to what Iowa does this season. They can be difference-makers.

But Sandfort might be the most crucial and perhaps the most plausible option to help Iowa get to where it wants to be this season. His ability to go nuclear offensively unlocks another dimension for this Iowa team. 

Simply put, if Sandfort is doing his thing, Iowa is difficult to stop. 

Krikke said of Sandfort: “It just brings a different level when he’s on.”

Ben Krikke posts double-double in Iowa’s win over Rutgers

Ben Krikke discusses a variety of topics following Iowa’s win over Rutgers.

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There was optimism entering this season that Sandfort would break out as one of the Big Ten’s best. He had shown enough flashes in his first two seasons at Iowa to spur belief that it was possible. It’s not like Sandfort has played poorly this season (he entered Saturday averaging 13.5 points per game), but he hasn’t had the major leap that some anticipated.

Some of that might be due to the fact that Sandfort has moved into a more prominent role after spending his first two seasons in the shadows of Keegan and Kris Murray, who became first-round NBA draft picks. Roster turnover this off-season, coupled with Sandfort’s ability, meant it was his turn to become a high-volume scorer.

“It’s hard moving into a new role,” Sandfort said. “You’re on top of the scouting report so you kinda have to find new ways to score. But if I can get myself in a rhythm and just go out there and play my game, quit thinking about it, I think that’s where I can excel.”

More: Another Caitlin Clark triple-double powers No. 3 Iowa women’s basketball past Rutgers

At times this season, Sandfort has straddled his former role as a secondary option with what Iowa needs from him now. That has manifested during multiple games.

Sandfort failed to score in the first half of a loss to Michigan, finishing with 10 points. In Iowa’s blowout loss to Iowa State, Sandfort had 14 points in the first half but was shut out in the second. That played out similarly during Iowa’s loss to Wisconsin, where Sandfort had nine points in the first half but none in the second.

“I’ve kinda fallen into that role of kinda just disappearing in some moments,” Sandfort said. “So I have to keep up the energy that I had in 20 minutes last year for the full 35 or 40, whatever it is this year, which can be a hard thing. But it’s something that I’ve earned. It’s something that I want.”

But if Sandfort is on, it is dangerous for opponents — as Saturday proved.

“We were well aware of his ability to do that,” Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said of Sandfort. “And when they win games, he usually has nights like that.”

The growing pains Sandfort has endured this season are similar to that which Iowa has faced as a whole.

A brutal three-game stretch in December, in which Iowa lost to Purdue, Iowa State and Michigan by a combined 54 points, raised some legitimate concern. Before Saturday’s matchup with Rutgers, Iowa was 1-6 against power-six opponents, including a 0-3 mark in the Big Ten.

Iowa bucked that trend on Saturday. Rutgers, for what it’s worth, hasn’t been especially impressive this season. But that also means a loss to the Scarlet Knights would’ve sent Iowa spiraling even further into murky waters.

Iowa’s win on Saturday provided much-needed movement in the right direction. As Iowa turns toward two manageable games on the horizon — against Nebraska (home) and Minnesota (away) — Saturday’s win provides a launching point in which Iowa can continue to ascend.

Iowa needs more of what it did against Rutgers.

The same can be said for Sandfort.

“Today we did a good job,” Sandfort said. “It was a good first step.”

Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com