The Iowa Hawkeyes found themselves in a first-half firefight on Tuesday night, but when the dust settled, they had clawed their way back from a seven-point halftime hole to take down Washington, 84-74. It was a tale of two halves in Seattle, and Iowa’s second-half surge was as much about grit as it was about execution.
Bennett Stirtz: Steady, Surgical, and Clutch
Bennett Stirtz was the engine that powered Iowa’s comeback. The sophomore guard dropped 22 points on an efficient 8-of-13 shooting night, but it wasn’t just the scoring that stood out - it was the poise.
He added five assists and committed just one turnover, guiding the offense with the calm of a seasoned vet. When the game tilted in the second half, Stirtz was the one steadying the ship, hitting timely shots and making the right reads.
His second-half sequence - starting with a trip to the line, followed by a deep three, and later a transition dunk - was the turning point. With just over seven minutes to play and the Huskies threatening to claw back in, Stirtz delivered again, knocking down a clean look from beyond the arc and punctuating it with a two-handed slam in transition. That stretch pushed the lead back to eight and gave Iowa full control.
First Half: Surviving the Storm
The first 20 minutes? A whirlwind.
Washington came out swinging, rattling off an 11-0 run early and hitting 11 straight field goals in one of the most efficient offensive halves you’ll see all season. The numbers were staggering - the Huskies scored on nearly 68% of their possessions and posted an effective field goal percentage north of 110%.
That’s not a typo. It felt like every shot was falling, and for a while, it was.
But credit Iowa - they didn’t fold. Despite the onslaught, they kept pace thanks to their own sharp execution.
The Hawkeyes scored on over 63% of their first-half possessions and turned seven Washington turnovers into 13 points. Alvaro Folgueiras was a spark off the bench, pouring in 12 first-half points, while Stirtz added nine to keep Iowa within striking distance at the break, down 48-41.
Second Half: Lockdown Defense and Timely Buckets
Iowa’s adjustments out of the locker room were immediate and effective. They tightened the screws defensively, holding Washington without a field goal for over six minutes - a stark contrast to the Huskies’ red-hot first half. That defensive stretch allowed the Hawkeyes to flip the script and build a seven-point lead of their own.
Tavion Banks chipped in with a key four-point play early in the half, trimming the deficit to three. Though his free-throw streak ended at 30 earlier in the game, he made his presence felt when it mattered.
Cooper Koch, quiet in the first half, came alive late. With the shot clock winding down and Washington threatening again, Koch - who had previously passed up a similar shot earlier in the season - drilled a clutch three with a defender in his face, pushing the lead to double digits.
Closing Time
From there, Iowa managed the clock and the game like a veteran squad. With just over a minute left, they milked the clock after a made basket, drawing a frustrated reaction from Washington head coach Danny Sprinkle. The Hawkeyes played keep-away in the final moments, and a shot clock violation - just their fourth turnover of the game - was a small blemish on an otherwise clean second half.
Folgueiras finished with 16 points off the bench, while Koch’s 11 - all in the second half - came in big moments. It was a complete team effort, but it was Stirtz who set the tone and sealed the deal.
The Takeaway
This was a gutsy road win for Iowa - the kind that can define a season. They didn’t have their best defensive half to start, but they responded with toughness, discipline, and some serious shot-making.
At 17-5 overall and 7-4 in conference play, the Hawkeyes are quietly building momentum. And if Stirtz keeps playing like this, they’ll be a tough out for anyone.