Folgueiras Ignites Iowa Comeback as Hawkeyes Flatten Bucknell in Des Moines
DES MOINES - The night started with a bang - just not the kind Iowa fans were expecting. A hometown kid hit a logo three and helped Bucknell race out to a 10-2 lead, stunning a crowd that had barely settled into their seats. But any early nerves didn’t last long.
Because once Alvaro Folgueiras checked in, the game flipped - fast.
The junior forward from Spain poured in a career-high 17 points to spark a 17-0 Iowa run that turned a sluggish start into a dominant 94-39 win over Bucknell. It was the kind of performance that reminded everyone why Folgueiras was the Horizon League MVP last season - and why he’s quickly becoming a key piece in Iowa’s early-season success.
“We just weren’t playing very well early,” head coach Ben McCollum admitted. “They hit us in the mouth to start - woke us up.”
That wake-up call came courtesy of Ruot Bijiek, a West Des Moines Valley High School product who drilled a pair of deep threes, including one from the MidAmerican Energy logo. For a moment, it looked like the underdog Bison were ready to make things interesting.
But then came the run.
Folgueiras came off the bench and immediately got to work, scoring 10 straight points by himself during Iowa’s 17-0 surge. He had 15 by halftime - just one shy of his previous Hawkeye best - and added another bucket after the break to cap off his most complete outing in black and gold.
“Sometimes those early shots, I make them,” Folgueiras said with a smile. “I’ve got to keep doing good things for our team … I’m happy for that.”
The Hawkeyes fed off his energy and never looked back.
By halftime, Iowa led 43-21 and had forced 13 Bucknell turnovers, turning those mistakes into 22 points. That trend only intensified in the second half.
The final turnover margin? 40-3 in favor of the Hawkeyes - a staggering stat that speaks volumes about the defensive pressure Iowa applied all night.
Bucknell scored 10 points in the game’s first 3:37. They managed just 29 the rest of the way.
“I’d just say it was staying to our defensive principles,” said sophomore guard Isaia Howard, who was everywhere on defense, racking up seven of Iowa’s 17 steals. “Keeping the heat on the ball, getting deflections, just staying together defensively as a team.”
Howard’s effort didn’t go unnoticed by his coach.
“It’s just who he is,” McCollum said. “That energy, that edge - he brings it every day.
He doesn’t have bad practices. He’s got that impose-your-will kind of mentality.
That’s what our program is about.”
Howard wasn’t alone in stuffing the stat sheet. Tavion Banks added 16 points, and Kael Combs chipped in 13 as Iowa improved to 10-2 heading into the holiday break. For a team that entered the season with a new coach and a retooled roster, this stretch has to feel like validation.
And on a night when the Hawkeyes played what was technically a “neutral site” game, the crowd at Casey’s Center made sure it felt like anything but.
“It was dope,” Howard said. “We had a lot of fans come out, and we really appreciate that. It just brings a lot of energy.”
With just over two minutes left and the scoreboard reading 88-36, fans broke into a spirited “Let’s Go Hawks!” chant. The game may have been decided long before that, but the energy never dipped.
“I know the Hawkeyes are really big all over the state, and it was cool to see that,” Folgueiras added. “It was special. The game didn’t really start our way, but (the fans) were there, they were loud.”
Next up for Iowa: a well-earned holiday break before returning to action on Dec. 29 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena against UMass-Lowell. If the Hawkeyes can bottle up the energy and execution they showed after that rocky start, they’ll be a tough out for anyone heading into the new year.