Iowa
Gophers men’s basketball shocks Iowa 72-67 to pick up second Big Ten win
Femi Odukale, who celebrated his birthday Tuesday, had a season-high 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Gophers, who halted a six-game losing streak against Iowa.
“We just wanted to show our grit,” Odukale said. “I felt like the core we have, and our staff makes us really focus on defense. That was our main priority. We didn’t want them to score and make it a track meet.”
The Hawkeyes got 42 points combined from Payton Sandfort and Owen Freeman, including 26 points in the second half. But they weren’t able to generate enough offense late to pull off a comeback against the Gophers. They ranked second in Big Ten games with 84 points per game, but they trailed 32-28 at halftime.
After opening the Big Ten 0-6, the Gophers have a chance to win their third straight game against Oregon on Saturday at Williams Arena.
“They have a toughness and resolve now,” Johnson said. “They knew they were playing good basketball. We just weren’t getting the results. They never wavered. Ever. They just got hardened. They got stronger, and you’re seeing the results now.”