The new-look Iowa Men's Basketball squad has gotten off to a fast start under first-year Head Coach Ben McCollum.
McCollum came to Iowa City with a sparkling 424-95 overall record after a 16-year career at Northwest Missouri State (2009-2024) and Drake (2024), and has now added 11 more wins to his resume.
The No. 25 Iowa Hawkeyes welcomed the UMass River Hawks to Carver-Hawkeye Arena for a Monday night clash in Iowa City.
The Hawkeyes entered Monday night's game at No. 11 in the NET rankings (No. 4 in the Big Ten), and backed up that ranking with another dominating performance.
Iowa used a quick 8-0 run to start the game, and never looked back.
The squad led from start to finish, ending their non-conference schedule and the year 2025 on a high note.
Iowa held the River Hawks to under 50 percent shooting from the field (48.0 percent), and forced 15 turnovers, including 10 steals in the 90-62 win.
Bennett Stirtz had a team-high 22 points to go along with eight assists.
Cam Manyawu and Alvaro Folgueiras each added 14 points, and Tavion Banks added 12 in a good all-around effort for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa's defense continues to set the tone
The Hawkeyes have been blowing teams out, especially the teams that are supposed to beat.
After another stiffling defensive effort against UMass Lowell, the Hawkeyes are now ranked No. 3 overall in college basketball in scoring defense, giving up an average of 59.9 points per game.
Iowa's 20.6-point scoring margin as also ranked No. 17 overall.
Offense makes the headlines, but the Hawkeyes are more than ok clamping down on the opposing offenses and winning games in a rock fight.
Iowa's defensive effort is great to see, and it's something Iowa fans have not witnessed in over a decade.
When Iowa's offense is slowed down in Big Ten play, the squad can still rely on solid defense to stay in games and be competitive.
Next game: Saturday, January 3, 2026, vs. UCLA (5:00 p.m. Central Time)