Josh Dix scored 16 of his game-high 26 points in the second half Wednesday night and visiting Iowa rallied from a 10-point deficit to defeat Rutgers 84-73 in a Big Ten Conference game in Piscataway, N.J.
Dix made 11 of 17 shots from the field for the Hawkeyes (14-10, 5-8 Big Ten), while Payton Sandfort added 20 points and six rebounds. Brock Harding chipped in 13 points and seven assists, and Pryce Sandfort came off the bench to contribute 10 points.
Five players reached double figures for the Scarlet Knights (12-13, 5-9), led by Ace Bailey and Jeremiah Williams with 13 points apiece. Reserve Tyson Acuff scored 12, and freshman Dylan Harper added 11 points and five assists. Jamichael Davis came off the bench to tally 10 points.
Iowa outscored Rutgers 51-31 in the second half, canning 58.8 percent of its field goal attempts while holding the Knights to 42.3 percent from the floor and 2-of-11 shooting from beyond the 3-point line. The Hawkeyes also forced 14 turnovers and enjoyed a 44-28 advantage in points in the paint.
Iowa took the lead for good with 7:45 left on a 3-point play by Ladji Dembele. It owned a 73-71 edge when Payton Sandfort connected on a 3-pointer at the 1:43 mark to start a game-ending 11-2 run. Sandfort and Dix each converted two foul shots in that spurt.
Both teams entered this matchup in search of wins to keep from falling outside the cut line for next month’s conference tournament. The bottom three teams in the 18-team league will be left out.
Rutgers, which has relied heavily on Bailey and Harper for its offensive punch this season, flashed surprising balance during the first half. Nine players got in the scoring column, helping it make a run late in the first half after the Hawkeyes rattled off 12 straight points for a 25-20 lead.
A 14-2 burst, capped by Williams’ 3-pointer, gave the Knights a 34-27 advantage. The margin reached 42-31 before Harding drove for a layup with four seconds left to make it 42-33 at halftime.
–Field Level Media
