Iowa
Iowa 95, Utah 88: A Balanced Comeback
Iowa 95, Utah 88: A Balanced Comeback
Nine months ago, Utah ended Iowa’s 2023-24 season in the second round of the NIT. Saturday night, Iowa faced off with Utah again at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and came away with a very solid 95-88 win over the Utes. The Hawkeyes used a dominant second half and a balanced scoring effort from the starting lineup to earn the victory.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
1. The Big Finish
Finishing strong hasn’t always been a strength for this particular Iowa team. The Hawkeyes couldn’t make enough shots (or get enough stops) in their neutral-site loss to Utah State last month and ran out of steam after playing very well against Iowa State for 35 minutes a few weeks ago.
Saturday, Iowa trailed 40-36 at halftime and was down 11 early in the second half after conceding a 9-2 run to the Utes out of the break. The Hawkeyes caught fire after that, rattling off 25 points in the next seven minutes of game action to tie the score at 63-all.
Down the stretch, it was the Hawkeyes who were making shots and getting stops. Iowa outscored Utah 20-13 after the game was tied at 75 with 6:59 to play. Iowa scored 59 points in the second half (to 48 from Utah), led by 16 points from Payton Sandfort, who shot 5-of-8 from the floor and was perfect at the free throw line (6-of-6).
Notably, Iowa scored 59 points in the second half despite shooting just 4-of-6 from 3-point range. After attempting 14 three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes (and making five of them), Iowa adjusted on offense in the second half, attacking the rim more and getting higher-percentage shots — and more trips to the free throw line, where the Hawkeyes went 17-of-24 after the break.
“We were moving the ball and driving the ball [in the second half],” Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery said after the win. “We settled too much in the first half. Payton said it [and] he was right, we hit a couple early and started settling.”
“[Then] they don’t have to play defense, they don’t get tired, they come down and they carve you up, they run good stuff. So we kept the ball moving the ball side to side, driving the ball, intelligent screening, back-cuts, that was the difference in the game.”
The sellout crowd at the Pentagon had a noticeable (and unsurprising) Hawkeye flavor, which helped fuel Iowa’s second half comeback. That, as well as the veteran core of this Iowa roster that’s had plenty of experience in these situations — both good and bad — at this point.
“Veteran guys,” said McCaffery on how Iowa was able to turn the game around in the second half. “We’ve got good players, we’ve got good ball-handlers, guys who’ve been through it, [the] crowd was great. I think [it was] a combination of all those things.”
2. Drew Thelwell’s Spark
One player who provided a notable spark in Iowa’s comeback effort was senior guard Drew Thelwell, making his third consecutive start. Thelwell didn’t make a basket in the second half — didn’t even attempt one, in fact — but he scored seven points on 7-of-8 shooting at the free throw line.
Thelwell drew five fouls (more than anyone else on the Iowa roster in the second half), although a few of those came late when the Utes were attempting to extend the game. Still, Thelwell’s ability to attack the defense and the energy he brought were key factors in Iowa’s comeback win.
“[His energy] is infectious,” McCaffery said after the game. “Everyone else goes with him, Brock [Harding]’s kind of that way as well. The energy in the building was phenomenal. Drew was right in the middle of that. His defense, drawing six fouls, those are stats that are critical to a team’s ability to win. You do that by driving the ball and drawing fouls and that’s what he did.”
McCaffery also expanded on what he was looking for when he was pursuing Thelwell out of the transfer portal earlier this year and what he’s brought to this Iowa team. “I was looking for a veteran point guard, who could run a team, who could play off the ball and score, guard his man,” he explained.
“I noticed immediately that this kid could play defense, and wants to play defense and wants to play at both ends, that he understands how to engineer a victory,” McCaffery said. “Drew Thelwell is a winner, that’s what I was looking for and that’s what we got.”
The man that Thelwell displaced in the starting lineup — Ladji Dembele — also had some key plays to spark Iowa’s comeback bid. After scoring zero points and grabbing just one rebound in the first half, Dembele had five points, three rebounds, and a steal after intermission. His two baskets came during Iowa’s surge after falling behind by 11 and helped cut a 7-point deficit to just two.
More importantly, he helped keep Iowa afloat in the second half, with Owen Freeman bolted to the bench with foul trouble (Freeman picked up three fouls in the second half and played under five minutes total after halftime). Dembele played 14:10 in the second half and he finished with a +13 plus-minus rating in those minutes, the highest of any Iowa player in the second half.
McCaffery praised the effort from Dembele and fellow sub Pryce Sandfort. “They’re just rock solid, both of them. All they care about is winning. Pryce, defensively, was tremendous. Ladji, boy was he great. [He] had his two big hoops. But then defensively, on the glass, [he had a] big time offensive rebound late, [a] couple in-traffic rebounds, just his awareness defensively was great.”
3. Balance Carries The Day
Recent years have seen multiple standout individual players that served as the focal points for their respective Iowa teams — Luka Garza, followed by Keegan Murray, and then Kris Murray. Those players were superstars at the college level, racking up All-Big Ten honors, winning Big Ten Player of the Year awards, and vying (or winning, in Garza’s case) for national honors as well.
There isn’t a player quite like that on this Iowa roster — but at its best, this is a team that has a lot of depth and scoring balance, with multiple players that can score and pass and put pressure on a defense. Saturday night saw them at something pretty close to their best, especially in the furious second half comeback effort.
All five Iowa starters finished in double figures in scoring, led by Payton Sandfort with 24 points and a game-high 8 rebounds. Freeman finished second on the team with 16 points, despite missing 75% of the second half with foul trouble. “Owen was really on his way to a big-time game, I felt bad when he got in foul trouble like that,” McCaffery said after the game. Freeman finished with 16 points and 6 rebounds.
Josh Dix and Drew Thelwell each added 15 points, with 10 of Dix’s points coming in the second half. Dix did his damage inside the arc in this game, going 7-of-9 on two-point shots and attempting just one three.
Finally, Brock Harding finished with 12 points, all in the second half. After going 0-for-5 in the first half, Harding went 4-of-8 in the second half, including 2-of-2 from deep. His first three gave Iowa its first lead of the second half at 68-67 and his second triple pushed Iowa’s lead to 88-80 with three minutes to play.
When Iowa is moving the ball well, setting screens, and attacking the rim like the offense was in the second half, this becomes a very difficult team to defend because there’s no one player that defenses can key on and try to slow down. Maintaining that focus and that aggressive mindset on the offensive end was key to Iowa’s win on Saturday — maintaining those same things over the next two-and-a-half months will be key to Iowa’s success in the Big Ten.
NEXT: Iowa finishes off non-conference play with a home game against New Hampshire on December 30 (6 PM CT, BTN).
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The Rapid City and Iowa Lakes communities are mourning the loss of Carter “Tater” Johnson, the lone fatality from a bus crash Wednesday morning in northwest Iowa.
The Iowa State Patrol confirmed Thursday that the 19-year-old died in Wednesday’s fatal bus crash on Iowa Highway 4, just west of Twin Lakes, and north of US Highway 20.
Lt. Aaron Smidt said that stretch of road has seen other fatal crashes in the last few years.
“We’ve had, I believe, four fatalities at that location in the last 10 years,” Smidt said.
MORE: Bus carrying Northwest Iowa baseball team crashes on highway, 1 student dies from injuries
Iowa Lakes Community College athletic director Troy Larson said all of its communities are mourning right now, and asks people to hold the baseball team, especially Carter’s family, in their hearts.
“Our baseball team is more than a roster. They’re a family. Carter was a great teammate, a friend, and a valued member of our athletic community,” Larson said.
Larson said Carter’s presence on campus will be missed, and there are few words right now that can comfort people.
“In his time here, he really impacted our campus, both within our halls and the classrooms, as well as the playing field. We’re heartbroken over this tragedy,” Larson said.
South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden offered his support for the team on Thursday, asking people to also support the college and the team.
“Sandy and I offer our deepest condolences for all those impacted by the crash this week. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the students and their families — especially the family of Carter Johnson as they navigate this unimaginable loss.”
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds also took to social media, offering her condolences.
“Kevin and I are heartbroken by the horrible news of a deadly crash involving an Iowa Lakes Community College bus transporting student athletes. We are praying for all affected by this tragedy and their families. Please join us in keeping Iowa Lakes Community College in our hearts.”
And Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) brought the team up in Washington.
“We are praying for the family who lost a loved one. To the passengers and their families, we are praying for you and for a full recovery from your injuries. I’m thankful for the Iowans on hand to help, including emergency personnel, health care providers, and the Iowa Lakes Community College community for supporting the team through this difficult time,” Grassley said.
Meanwhile, in South Dakota, Carter’s family is mourning as well. His father, Jeff, said that the former Post 22 Hardhat and Stevens Raider was the best person he’s ever met.
“He just always cared about people. He always worried about the unfortunate and people less fortunate than him. He was the first kid, when he was six or seven years old, and a snow storm would hit, he would try to go shovel older people’s driveways in the neighborhood.” Johnson said. “He was just the best human being ever. He was infectious. Everybody he met, they got along with him. He found the good in everybody. He never complained. He worked hard.”
Jeff said he doesn’t understand why this happened to someone like Carter, and he may never wrap his head around it.
“It almost seems unfair that he made so much difference in the world, and the world is moving on without him,” Johnson said.
Jeff said he can’t describe how much it hurts right now to lose Carter. But knowing that he made an impact on many people’s lives, lived the best life he could, and always helped others, is comforting to his family.
“And the best thing in the world is to read the stories of how he impacted other people. He made a difference. That’s the greatest honor, moving on as a dad, that you can ask for from your kid,” Johnson said.
Copyright 2026 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
POMEROY, Iowa (KTIV) – A college’s bus traveling on a Northwest Iowa highway crashed Wednesday morning, sending dozens of people to the hospital and resulting in one student’s death.
The Iowa State Patrol says shortly after 11 a.m. on Feb. 11, the bus crashed on Iowa Highway 4, near 220th Street, just west of Twin Lakes.
According to ISP, the bus belonged to Iowa Lakes Community College, a Northwest Iowa-based college, and had gone off the highway and overturned in a ditch. Authorities say only the bus was involved in the crash.
ISP says there were 33 people on the bus, with injuries ranging from minor to serious. Officials at the scene say one of the bus’s occupants was declared dead, they were later identified as 19-year-old Carter Johnson.
The other 32 bus occupants were assessed by medical personnel and sent to various hospitals.
“Due to the number of individuals and the extent of reported injuries, a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) was declared,” stated the Calhoun County Emergency Agency. “Given the seriousness of injuries, multiple medical helicopters were requested to assist with patient transport. Ground ambulances from surrounding jurisdictions also responded to provide additional medical support and transportation.
Authorities say there was an Iowa Lakes Community College van in the area as well, with six occupants, but it was not involved in the crash.
Iowa Lakes Community College has canceled classes for Thursday, Feb. 12, and Friday, Feb. 13, after the deadly bus crash involving the college’s baseball team.
In an email to students, ILCC confirmed that a student-athlete was killed in the crash. According to various Facebook posts, that student has been identified as 19-year-old Carter Johnson of Rapid City, SD.
Previous Coverage
A college’s bus traveling on a Northwest Iowa highway crashed Wednesday morning, sending dozens of people to the hospital and resulting in one death.
The Iowa State Patrol says shortly after 11 a.m. on Feb. 11, the bus crashed on Iowa Highway 4, near 220th Street, just west of Twin Lakes.
According to ISP, the bus belonged to Iowa Lakes Community College, a Northwest Iowa-based college, and had gone off the highway and overturned in a ditch. Authorities say only the bus was involved in the crash.
ISP says there were 33 people on the bus, with injuries ranging from minor to serious. Officials at the scene say one of the bus’s occupants was declared dead after rescue personnel arrived, but did not go into further detail on their identity.
The other 32 bus occupants were assessed by medical personnel and sent to various hospitals.
“Due to the number of individuals and the extent of reported injuries, a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) was declared,” stated the Calhoun County Emergency Agency. “Given the seriousness of injuries, multiple medical helicopters were requested to assist with patient transport. Ground ambulances from surrounding jurisdictions also responded to provide additional medical support and transportation.
Authorities say there was an Iowa Lakes Community College van in the area as well, with six occupants, but it was not involved in the crash.
Bus was carrying members of NW Iowa baseball team
Officials with Iowa Lakes Community College have confirmed that members of their baseball team were on the bus. A student also confirmed to KTIV that the bus was taking the team to Arkansas for a game. The student said some of the people on the bus were flown to a Des Moines hospital.
Iowa Lakes Community College was scheduled to play against North Arkansas College in Harrison, Arkansas, on Thursday, Feb. 12.
On Facebook, North Arkansas College released a statement about the crash, saying they would be praying for the team.
“Our hearts are heavy as we grieve alongside the Iowa Lakes College community. The loss of a life is a tragedy that reaches far beyond one campus. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the individual who passed away, and we are lifting up in prayer those who were injured and all who are affected,” stated Dr. Rick Massengale, North Arkansas College President. “During moments like this, we are reminded that the higher education community is a family, and we stand ready to support Iowa Lakes Community College in any way we can.”
Iowa Lakes Community College is located in the Iowa Great Lakes region. It has campuses in Algona, Emmetsburg, Estherville, Spencer and Spirit Lake.
Crash closes highway for hours
Northbound and southbound lanes on Iowa Highway 4 were closed a little after 11 a.m. due to the crash. By 2:45 p.m., the road had reopened.
While responding to the crash, the Iowa State Patrol was assisted by the Calhoun County Sheriff and EMS, Rockwell City Police Department, Calhoun County Emergency Management, the Iowa Department of Transportation, and other supporting agencies.
The crash remains under investigation.
A bus from a local public school district was at the crash scene as well. Officials with Pocahontas Area Community School District say their bus was there to help authorities.
The district wanted to make it clear that their bus was not involved in the crash itself.
“Earlier today, a bus was involved in an accident on Highway 4, south of Pomeroy. This was not a PACSD bus. Pocahontas Police Chief Leu asked Jeff Halder, PACSD transportation director, to help at the site of the accident by bringing a bus to the location. That is the only reason why one of our buses is at the site. Again, our bus was not involved in the accident; it is only there to provide support,” stated officials in a post on Facebook.
Candlelight vigil in Estherville
A candlelight vigil has been scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 11. The vigil is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Iowa Lakes Community College’s Estherville campus, inside the choir room.
Copyright 2026 KTIV. All rights reserved.
A bus carrying the Iowa Lakes Community College baseball team crashed in a rural part of the state on Wednesday, killing one and injuring 32 others.
The bus overturned into a ditch on a highway near Twin Lakes, which is roughly 110 miles northwest of Des Moines, at 11 a.m. local time, according to the Iowa State Patrol.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash, according to authorities.
None of the crash victims has been publicly identified, and authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash.
“The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority,” Iowa Lakes Community College said in a statement, according to KCCI8. “The College is actively supporting those affected and communicating directly with families.”
Iowa Lakes’ season kicked off last week with a four-game series against Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa.
The team was set to play a four-game set against North Arkansas College on Thursday and Friday.
“Our hearts are heavy as we grieve alongside the Iowa Lakes College community,” North Arkansas told the outlet in a statement. “The loss of a life is a tragedy that reaches far beyond one campus. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the individual who passed away, and we are lifting up in prayer those who were injured and all who are affected.
“During moments like this, we are reminded that the higher education community is a family, and we stand ready to support Iowa Lakes Community College in any way we can.”
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds also shared her condolences to the team, writing in a social media post that she and her husband were “heartbroken” by the news.
“Kevin and I are heartbroken by the horrible news of a deadly crash involving an Iowa Lakes Community College bus transporting student athletes,” she posted to Facebook on Wednesday. “We are praying for all affected by this tragedy and their families.
“Please join us in keeping Iowa Lakes Community College in our hearts.”
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