The Iowa Hawkeyes took care of business in Eugene, handling Oregon 84-66 in the first leg of their Pacific Northwest road swing. It wasn’t just a win-it was a statement. Iowa looked sharp, efficient, and confident, led by a breakout performance from Bennett Stirtz, who put together his best game in a Hawkeye uniform.
Stirtz was electric. The sophomore guard poured in 32 points on a blistering 12-of-15 from the field, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.
He also dished out six assists and was so effective that he got to kick back for the final 1:47 of the game with the outcome well in hand. This wasn’t just a hot shooting night-it was a complete offensive clinic.
Whether it was pulling up from deep, slicing through Oregon’s defense in the pick-and-roll, or creating for teammates, Stirtz was in full command.
And it came at the right time. Iowa needed a tone-setting performance on the road, and Stirtz delivered.
He missed his first shot of the night but quickly found his rhythm, getting Iowa on the board with a three to take an 18-17 lead. From there, he never looked back.
Another bright spot? Brendan Hausen.
After spending most of the season on the fringe of the rotation, Hausen stepped up in a big way. He dropped 11 points in just 16 minutes, showing not just his shooting touch, but a feel for the game that went beyond the box score.
Late in the first half, after hitting a three with 10 seconds left, Hausen immediately locked in defensively, forcing Oregon into a timeout to avoid a five-second violation. That kind of awareness matters-and it’s the sort of thing that earns more minutes moving forward.
Cooper Koch also found his footing, scoring 10 points in a bounce-back effort, while Alvaro Folgueiras added 15 to give Iowa four players in double figures. The balanced scoring was part of what made this win feel so complete.
On the other side, Oregon-shorthanded and struggling-just couldn’t keep up. The Ducks managed only two points over an eight-minute stretch in the first half, during which Iowa went on a quick 8-0 run to stretch the lead to 29-19. By halftime, the Hawkeyes led 35-26 and had full control of the tempo.
The second half was more of the same. Stirtz continued to carve up Oregon’s defense, especially in the pick-and-roll, where he either got to the rim himself or set up easy looks for teammates.
He was responsible-either scoring or assisting-for 19 of Iowa’s first 23 points out of the break. Every time Oregon tried to claw back, Stirtz had an answer.
When the Ducks trimmed the lead to single digits with just over six minutes left, Iowa head coach Ben McCollum drew up a clean look for Koch, who buried it to push the lead back to 12. That bucket put the game on ice and showcased the kind of execution Iowa’s been striving for in high-leverage moments.
The numbers tell the story. Iowa shot 59% from the field and 46% from three, while turning the ball over just five times.
They were 17-of-25 on layups-an absurd number of attempts at the rim, underscoring just how often they got what they wanted offensively. Oregon, by comparison, went 7-of-14 on layups and shot just 41% overall, including 24% from deep.
Defensively, Iowa held their ground. Oregon did grab 13 offensive boards and turned those into 16 second-chance points, but outside of that, the Hawkeyes controlled the game on both ends. Even with a couple of walk-ons getting minutes-including a start from Drew Carter-Iowa never let this one slip into dangerous territory.
Tavion Banks, who’s been flirting with Chris Street’s free throw streak record, didn’t get to the line and finished with just four points in 11 minutes. But on a night when Stirtz was this dominant, Iowa didn’t need much else.
This win moves Iowa to 16-5 overall and 6-4 in conference play. More importantly, it showed what this team can look like when it’s firing on all cylinders.
Stirtz looked like a star, the supporting cast stepped up, and the Hawkeyes handled their business on the road. With momentum building, this trip out West might be just what they needed.