Sandfort scores 21 points to lead balanced Iowa attack past North Dakota 110-68

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Payton Sandfort scored 21 points and five other Iowa players reached double figures as the Hawkeyes beat North Dakota 110-68 in a season-opening matchup on Tuesday night.

Ben Krikke scored 18, reserve Owen Freeman scored 14 points, Dasonte Bowen had 12 and Patrick McCaffery 11 for Iowa. The Hawkeyes shot 12 for 24 from 3-point range and 53.3% overall (40 for 75). Freeman, a freshman, made 7 of 8.

Iowa never trailed. The Hawkeyes built a 21-9 lead when Sandfort made a 3 with 14:28 before halftime. He had 10 points within the game’s first five minutes, and Iowa led 56-32 at halftime.

B.J. Omot scored 24 points for North Dakota.

Iowa moved its record to 8-0 all-time against North Dakota.

Entering the season, Iowa added eight newcomers to the roster — including Krikke, a Valparaiso transfer — and returned two starters and eight letterwinners from a team that won 19 games, finished fifth in the Big Ten and advanced to its fourth straight NCAA Tournament.

Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery is 10 wins from becoming the winningest coach in program history. Tom Davis has 271 victories as a Hawkeyes coach.

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