Bennett Stirtz scored a game-high 21 points to go with eight rebounds and Tavion Banks chipped in 13 points to help Iowa post an 81-62 victory against Xavier on Friday in Iowa City.
Kael Combs added 11 points for the Hawkeyes (3-0).
Jovan Milicevic paced the Musketeers with 15 points. Filip Borovicanin and Tre Carroll scored 12 points apiece, but Xavier (2-2) was unable to overcome struggles with shooting and interior defense as well as early issues with ball control.
Xavier committed turnovers on its first three possessions, and nine of its 12 giveaways came in the first half.
Iowa led by as many as 22 points while outscoring Xavier 50-26 in the paint. A Combs three-point play off a jumper in the lane gave the Hawkeyes their largest cushion midway through the second half. Iowa shot 56.9% overall but hit just 3 of 11 from long range.
The Musketeers faded after trimming the deficit to nine points with 17:42 to go. A six-point possession — aided by an intentional foul called against the Hawkeyes’ Cooper Koch — fueled a 9-0 Xavier run.
Cam Manyawu scored nine points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds for Iowa, while Alvaro Folgueiras had eight points and eight rebounds. The Hawkeyes finished plus-17 on the glass. Borovicanin and Carroll had five boards apiece for the Musketeers.
Xavier shot 39% and was 8-for-33 (24.2%) from behind the arc.
Iowa led 45-29 at halftime behind an 11-0 run to close the period. Banks contributed the first four points of the spurt, including one of only two field goals. With several Musketeers battling foul trouble — Xavier committed six personal fouls over the first 4:49 — the Hawkeyes capitalized, attacking the basket and shooting 12-for-17 from the free-throw line prior to the break.
Stirtz swished each of his four foul shots en route to 12 first-half points, while Milicevic paced Xavier with 10 points before intermission.
Iowa earned 36 of its 45 first-half points either in the paint or at the free-throw line. The Musketeers never led after the midway point of the first half.
