Owen Freeman posted a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds and Payton Sandfort followed with 13 points to help host Iowa stop a three-game losing streak with an 88-52 rout of Florida A&M on Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa.
Tony Perkins (12 points) and Brock Harding (10) also scored in double figures to help Iowa cruise in the Hy-Vee Hawkeye Showdown.
The Hawkeyes (6-5) shot 54 percent from the floor compared to 30.2 percent for the Rattlers (2-6).
Florida A&M never led in the game but rolled to a 10-0 run during one sequence late in the game. The Hawkeyes boasted a 12-0 run and an edge nearly everywhere else, however, leading by as many as 43 points.
K’Jei Parker was the only Rattler to finish in double figures, scoring 11 points. Love Bettis was next with seven points.
Shannon Grant, Chase Barrs and Rod Coffee III tied for the team lead with five rebounds apiece as the Rattlers finished minus-14 under the boards.
Iowa set a season low for points allowed after yielding at least 87 points in each game during the skid. Perkins dished a game-high seven assists.
Iowa took a 43-20 lead into intermission behind a 10-point, six-rebound effort from Freeman. The Hawkeyes shot 51.6 percent in the first half while limiting the Rattlers to 30 percent shooting and hounding them into 10 turnovers.
Parker paced Florida A&M with five points in the first half. The Rattlers managed just nine field goals on 35 possessions in the first half, including one on their first 11 times down the floor.
Florida A&M didn’t crack double digits until Bettis scored a transition layup to pull the Rattlers within 28-10 with 6:29 to go before halftime.
Iowa claimed its first-ever meeting with Florida A&M while improving to 19-0 against Southwestern Athletic Conference schools.
The Rattlers fell to 0-2 against Big Ten programs this season following a 27-point loss at Nebraska in November.
–Field Level Media