Iowa 76, Penn State 75: Saved by the Bell, Thelwell’s 1K
IOWA CITY — After dropping three straight games, Iowa (13-7, 4-5) got back in the win column on Friday night with a 76-75 win over Big Ten rival Penn State (13-7, 3-6).
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Behind a strong first half and Drew Thelwell’s renewed, rejuvenating energy that resulted in him reaching the 1,000 career points mark, the Hawkeyes pulled off their first win in nearly two weeks.
Here are Three Takeaways from the win.
Winning the First Half
Prior to the win over the Nittany Lions, The Hawkeyes were 3-1 in games in which they led after 10 minutes and 0-4 in contests where they trailed at that point. Iowa was also 2-0 when leading at halftime in Big Ten games this season and 1-5 when trailing at halftime.
Somebody must’ve shared that stat with the team prior to the game. The Hawkeyes trailed for just 2:11 of the entire contest.
“It felt good,” Payton Sandfort said following the win. “The crowd got into it, they brought a lot of energy. It felt good to see some shots go in and get some stops.”
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The last few days leading up to the contest with PSU were extremely important for the guys to come out with a purpose.
“I thought we played hard,” Fran McCaffery said after the game. “We had some consistency defensively, they’re not an easy team to guard. … We got enough stops when we needed them.”
The fast start helped take the weight of the three-game skid off the shoulders of the players.
“Any time you’re going through something like that, it feels unbelievably hard to get the next one,” Sandfort said. “It’s always important to do it. … We’ve got to find a way, and we did that.”
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“You learn from [the losses] and you just come back and prepare,” McCaffery added. These guys did a pretty good job winning. The guys that are here. They know how to win. … So we’re just on to the next.
Thelwell Brings the Energy, Reaches 1,000 Career Points
A significant piece of Iowa’s winning efforts in the first and second halves was Thelwell, who scored the first six points of the night for the Hawkeyes and had an incentive to bounce back following his poor performance in the loss to Minnesota on Tuesday, which saw him score just two points on 1-of-7 shooting
“He was terrific tonight,” McCaffery said. “He was really down the other night. … He was locked in in practice for this one. He played great.”
He scored 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, tying Owen Freeman for the team lead in scoring, and also added five rebounds four assists and two steals against the Nittany Lions.
“[The Minnesota] game is over and done with,” Thelwell said of his mindset during the week. “Move onto the next one. We have a lot of games left — just take a mature approach about it.”
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If there’s anyone on this roster who can take a mature approach, It’s Thelwell who has won more than 100 games in his college career and who reached 1,000 career points on a three-pointer with 15:05 left in the second half.
“I’m thrilled for him. It’s an incredible accomplishment and really hard to do,” McCaffery said. “I was probably more impressed with his 100 career wins. That shows what his character is.”
Right in line with what McCaffery’s postgame sentiment, Thelwell was more excited about the win than the career scoring milestone.
“I’ve got to give glory to God,” the Morehead State transfer and fifth-year senior said. “It’s been a long journey. I’ve got to thank my dad — he woke me up so many times in high school, middle school and sacrificed his time. He and my mom. To end it on a win is even better.”
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Saved by the Bell
And it was barely a win at that.
Over the final four minutes of the game, Iowa was outscored 10-2. Despite Iowa holding a nine-point lead with just under four minutes left in the game, Penn State got the deficit within one with under a minute remaining.
“I thought we played pretty good defense,” Sandfort said. “It came down to free throws. We had a ton of free throws, that if we make them, we probably win by seven or nine. That’s how it goes sometimes.”
The Hawkeyes shot 1-of-7 from the stripe in the second half.
“Oh, boy,” Thelwell said. “Yeah, [missing free throws] was contagious. We’ve got to be better at that. That starts with me, but we’ve got to be better as a team.”
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McCaffery was hoping for his team to extend the lead as well, but even though that didn’t come to fruition, they were still able to pull off the win.
“We couldn’t seemingly get it from 10 to 15,” he said. “Give [Penn State] credit for continuing to come like they did. … I feel bad for our guys who played so hard and so well. When you miss your free throws, you tend to really internalize and blame yourself.”
It wasn’t just free throws, though.
“We did have two bad possessions that I would like to have back,” he added. “And that’s not on them. That’s on me. We ran the clock down. And Payton took a jumper and Josh (Dix) took a jumper. We’re in the bonus. Probably should have drove the ball on something different. But I trust those two guys. So they can shoot it whenever they want.”
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NEXT: Iowa will travel to Columbus on Monday next week to take on Ohio State (11-8, 3-5) at 7 pm CT. The game will be broadcast on FS1.
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The Iowa Hawkeyes have a few players who will be selected throughout the 2025 NFL Draft. While the biggest name of the bunch is standout running back Kaleb Johnson, there is another intriguing name to keep an eye on.
Jay Higgins, the team’s star linebacker, will also be selected at some point in the draft.
Arguably one of the most underrated linebackers in the 2025 draft class, Higgins put together a very strong college career at Iowa. He has been projected to end up being selected anywhere from the third to the fifth round.
Being selected in any round lower than the third round would make him a major steal.
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That being said, a new projection has been made for where Higgins will end up.
Scott Salomon of Pro Football Network has predicted that the Los Angeles Rams will end up taking Higgins with the No. 98 overall pick.
Landing with the Rams would be a great opportunity for him. Los Angeles needs help at the linebacker position and he could come in and earn playing time right off the bat.
Throughout the course of the 2024 season with the Hawkeyes, Higgins ended up totaling 124 tackles, a sack, two forced fumbles, four interceptions, and five defended passes.
In his entire Iowa career, Higgins produced massive numbers. He racked up 341 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, five interceptions, and nine defended passes.
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While there are some concerns about his athleticism and ability to translate to the NFL, his production speaks for itself. Sometimes, teams have to look past the tape and focus on how a player plays on the field. That is how Higgins should be looked at.
Hopefully, Higgins is able to land with a good team and earn playing time early on. He is one of the best defensive players that the Hawkeyes have had in recent years and fans will continue rooting him on at the next level.
Iowa State Cyclones (17-2, 8-1 Big 12) at Arizona Wildcats (13-6, 7-2 Big 12)
Tucson, Arizona; Monday, 10:30 p.m. EST
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BOTTOM LINE: No. 3 Iowa State visits Arizona after Curtis Jones scored 33 points in Iowa State’s 76-61 victory against the Arizona State Sun Devils.
The Wildcats are 9-1 in home games. Arizona leads the Big 12 in rebounding, averaging 36.6 boards. Tobe Awaka leads the Wildcats with 7.8 rebounds.
The Cyclones have gone 8-1 against Big 12 opponents. Iowa State ranks sixth in the Big 12 shooting 35.0% from 3-point range.
Arizona’s average of 6.9 made 3-pointers per game this season is only 0.7 fewer made shots on average than the 7.6 per game Iowa State gives up. Iowa State scores 15.7 more points per game (84.6) than Arizona allows to opponents (68.9).
The Wildcats and Cyclones meet Monday for the first time in conference play this season.
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TOP PERFORMERS: Awaka is averaging 7.4 points and 7.8 rebounds for the Wildcats. Caleb Love is averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Jones is averaging 18.6 points for the Cyclones. Keshon Gilbert is averaging 14.6 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Wildcats: 9-1, averaging 82.0 points, 34.7 rebounds, 18.3 assists, 8.0 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 49.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 67.0 points per game.
Cyclones: 9-1, averaging 81.7 points, 35.0 rebounds, 14.5 assists, 10.3 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 49.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 65.5 points.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – Cycling and trail use across the state of Iowa brings at least $1.4 billion into Iowa every year. That’s according to a study released today by the Iowa Bicycle Coalition.
The Economic Impacts of Cycling and Trails Study, conducted by Scioto Analysis, focuses on how cycling supports Iowa’s local economies, workforce, talent attraction and retention, rural revitalization, and quality of life. It shows an estimated 900,000 Iowans ride their bicycles on Iowa’s 2,000 miles of multi-use trails every year.
Luke Hoffman, Executive Director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, said, “This study shows that we are the world capital of trails. Our investments in bicycling infrastructure not only enhance economic and health outcomes, but also position Iowa as a leader in outdoor recreation and bike tourism. Prioritizing safety and expanding infrastructure can further boost quality of life and economic & health benefits for the entire state.”
According to the study, bicycle-related tourism generates $13 million annually, supporting local economies. Trail construction and maintenance investments have a $24 million annual economic impact, supporting rural revitalization with 260 jobs, primarily in construction.
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Additionally, Iowa’s bicycle retail sector generates an additional $56 million in economic impact annually, supporting workforce development with 800 jobs statewide and attracting and retaining talent in the state. The study also shows that bicycle commuting prevents at least 1,000–1,500 tons of carbon emissions annually, helping to combat climate change.
Bicycle clubs and organizations contribute 250,000 volunteer hours in Iowa annually, valued at $7.1 million, fostering social and community connectivity.
Cycling also improves health outcomes and quality of life, with active cyclists showing a 28% reduced risk for breast cancer, 77% reduced risk for colorectal cancer, and a variety of other mental and physical health benefits. Most notably, the study demonstrates that active cyclists are 49% less likely to experience chronic poor mental health.
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