Iowa Eyes Fourth Straight Win as Road Trip Begins at Oregon
The Iowa Hawkeyes are rolling into the Pacific Northwest with some serious momentum, and they’ll look to keep it going Sunday night in Eugene as they take on Oregon in Big Ten play. Iowa’s riding a three-game win streak and sitting at 15-5 overall (5-4 in the Big Ten), with their latest victory-a narrow 73-72 escape against USC-showcasing both resilience and offensive firepower.
That win over the Trojans wasn’t just another tally in the W column. It was a showcase for Bennett Stirtz and Tavion Banks, who each poured in 20 points to lead the way.
For Stirtz, it was another chapter in what’s been a standout season. He’s now hit the 20-point mark in 10 games this year and is closing in on a major milestone-just 14 points shy of 2,000 for his college career, which spans time at Drake and Division II powerhouse Northwest Missouri State.
One of the keys to Iowa’s solid start? Stability.
The Hawkeyes have only used three different starting lineups all season, and they’ve rolled with the same five in 11 games. That kind of consistency is rare in today’s game, and it’s paying off.
At 15-5 through 20 games, this is Iowa’s best start since the 2019-20 campaign.
But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Against USC, Iowa stumbled out of the gate, prompting head coach Ben McCollum to tap into his old Division II mindset-and energy.
“I think I had to just go back to my (Division II) days and just go crazy for a while,” McCollum said after the game. “And that seemed to work.”
It certainly did. That fire helped ignite a comeback and showed the kind of edge this Iowa team can play with when challenged.
Now they’ll face an Oregon squad that’s been trending in the opposite direction.
The Ducks (8-13, 1-9 in Big Ten play) are navigating one of the toughest stretches in recent program history. Head coach Dana Altman, who’s led Oregon to 20-plus wins in each of his 15 previous seasons, is staring down what could be the most difficult campaign of his tenure. Oregon has dropped seven straight, and injuries have gutted the roster.
Top scorers Nate Bittle (foot) and Jackson Shelstad (hand) remain sidelined, and the hits keep coming. Takai Simpkins missed Wednesday’s 73-57 loss to UCLA with an ankle injury, and forward Devon Pryor exited that game in the second half with a groin issue.
That’s left sophomore forward Kwame Evans Jr. to shoulder much of the offensive load. He responded with a career-high 24 points against the Bruins, but it wasn’t enough to keep Oregon in the game.
“Thirty-nine minutes wore him out there, but he did a lot of good things,” Altman said postgame. “Didn’t get much help.”
Oregon’s last six losses have all come by double digits, and the depth chart is running thin. For Iowa, this is a prime opportunity to keep the win streak alive and continue climbing the Big Ten standings. But road games are never a given-especially when a team is desperate to turn things around.
The Hawkeyes lead the all-time series 6-3, and if they can bring the same balance and intensity they’ve shown in recent weeks, there’s a good chance they’ll be heading to their next stop with a fourth straight win in hand.