Iowa Men's Basketball overcame a subpar first half on offense to take down the Chicago State Cougars 93-54 on Thursday night.
For the first time all season, the Hawkeyes shot under 50 percent in a half (42.9 percent) and only made three three-point baskets.
Chicago State brought pressure early and often, and used a 3-2 zone to force the hot-shooting Hawkeyes into the paint.
Iowa struggled to figure out the press and the zone in the first half, but bounced back in the second.
Iowa finished shooting 56.9 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from beyond the three-point line, and dominated on the glass, outrebounding Chicago State 37-22.
Tavion Banks led the way for the Hawkeyes with a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double. Alvaro Folgueiras added 14 points, six rebounds, and four assists off the bench, and Tate Sage added 13 points.
If Bennett Stirtz has a quiet scoring night, can the Hawkeyes respond?
Preseason All-Big Ten First-Team selection Bennet Stirtz did not score as many points as he is used to on Thursday night, but the Hawkeyes got contributions from all over the court.
Folgueiras, Sage, Banks, and Cooper Koch all picked up the scoring load, and it remains to be seen what will happen if teams continue to take Stirtz out of the game.
He did help in other areas, adding five rebounds and six assists, but the Hawkeyes need him to score to be successful.
It was a great sign that the rest of the guys picked up the scoring load, and that must continue when teams pressure or completely take away Stritz.
Iowa's balanced offensive attack is a great sign
A big question mark for the Hawkeyes is whether or not the team can still thrive when Stirtz does not put up gaudy offensive numbers.
The squad proved that tonight as they got scoring from a bunch of different guys.
The true test for the Hawkeyes will come in conference play, when teams will actively take Stirtz away, forcing other players to step up. The game against Chicago State was a good sign that the squad can step up when Stirtz doesn't score many points.
The defense continues to be a strength
Even when the Hawkeyes don't light up the scoreboard, they can rely on their hustle and defense to pick up the slack.
Against the Cougars on Thursday night, Iowa held them to 40 percent shooting and 18 percent from beyond the three-point line.
They did not allow the Cougars' pressure to impact them on either end of the court and used their length and athleticism to force them into taking bad shots.
If Iowa can continue to ramp up its defensive effort, it can cause problems for some Big Ten teams this season.
Next game: Tuesday, November 25 versus Ole Miss at 8:30 p.m. Central Time