On a night when the Oregon Ducks were looking to defend home court, it was the visiting Iowa Hawkeyes who left Matthew Knight Arena with the win-and the celebration to match.
Oregon entered the Feb. 1 matchup with energy, but it was clear from the outset that this would be a battle. With Nate Bittle sidelined due to injury, the Ducks were missing a key piece of their frontcourt rotation. His presence was still felt, though, as he joined Coach Dana Altman and the team during pregame on the court, offering support in street clothes.
As the lights dimmed for team introductions, Sean Stewart stepped into the spotlight, signaling that Oregon was ready to bring the fight. And early on, the Ducks did just that.
Takai Simpkins set the tone with hustle plays, diving for loose balls and challenging Iowa’s guards in transition. His first-half effort, including a key scramble that saw him beat Isaia Howard to a 50-50 ball, sparked the Ducks’ defense and got the crowd on its feet.
But Iowa didn’t flinch.
Bennett Stirtz was the engine for the Hawkeyes in the first half, slicing through Oregon’s defense and finishing at the rim with confidence. His ability to find space in traffic and convert tough shots kept Iowa steady whenever Oregon threatened to take control.
Coach Altman, as animated as ever, worked the sideline throughout the second half, urging his team to push the pace and find better looks. But Iowa’s defense tightened up when it mattered most. Isaia Howard was everywhere-contesting shots, grabbing boards, and making life difficult for Oregon’s forwards.
Sean Stewart continued to battle, going head-to-head with Howard in the paint and powering his way to the rim, but the Ducks struggled to string together enough stops down the stretch. Kwame Evans Jr. tried to rally the squad, bringing intensity on both ends, but even his efforts couldn’t stem Iowa’s second-half surge.
Dezdrick Lindsay fought hard under the basket, battling through contact and drawing defenders, but Iowa’s frontcourt tandem of Howard and Alvaro Folgueiras held their ground. Efe Vatan gave Oregon a spark off the bench with his work on the glass, muscling his way to key rebounds, but the Ducks just couldn’t generate enough second-chance points to shift momentum.
In the closing minutes, Iowa’s execution was crisp. Stirtz continued to attack, slipping through defenders and even converting a slick reverse layup between three Oregon players. The Hawkeyes’ bench erupted, and the Ducks found themselves playing catch-up.
A late-game collision between Oregon’s Oleksandr Kobzystyi and Iowa’s Brendan Hausen summed up the physicality of the second half-both players hit the floor hard, a testament to the intensity on display.
When the final buzzer sounded, it was Iowa’s bench that stormed the court. Brendan Hausen, Kael Combs, and Trevin Jirak embraced near midcourt, celebrating a hard-earned road win in a tough environment.
For Oregon, it’s back to the drawing board. The effort was there, the fight was there-but against a disciplined Iowa squad, it just wasn’t enough. With Bittle still sidelined and the Pac-12 grind in full swing, the Ducks will need to regroup quickly.
But if there’s one thing we’ve learned about Dana Altman’s teams over the years, it’s that they don’t stay down for long.