Men's Basketball 12/21/2016 12:37:00 AM UNDsports.com

Iowa uses big first-half run to put UND away

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa used a big first-half run to post an 84-73 victory over North Dakota in men's college basketball action Tuesday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Fighting Hawks (5-5) trimmed what was once a 19-point deficit down to seven on a pair of occasions after halftime, but the Hawkeyes (7-5) never let the visitors get any closer.

Senior Quinton Hooker led UND with 18 points and sophomore Conner Avants added 17 points to pace the Fighting Hawks, who also got a double-double from Drick Bernstine. UND's power forward scored 10 points to go with a season-high 14 rebounds and also had a game-high eight assists.

Unfortunately, there was a six-minute lull in the first half where Iowa took control with a 16-0 run that UND could never recover from. The Fighting Hawks had eight turnovers during that stretch and went 0-for-4 from the floor.

“I thought it was a hard fought game. Obviously, we were playing from behind for a majority of the game. They got to us in the first half when we were sloppy with the basketball and really got some separation,” UND head coach Brian Jones said. “I was proud of our guys in the second half though. We could have laid down and gone away, but we didn't.”

Avants started the game 5-for-6 from the field and had the visitors within three at 21-18 midway through the first half before that scoreless stretch allowed Iowa to extend its lead to 37-18.

Iowa's Ahmad Wagner capped that stretch with a dunk, but UND would respond with a 12-4 run over the closing three minutes to make it a 41-30 contest at the break.

Bernstine started that first-half closing run with a tip-in and had six points, seven rebounds and four assists in the opening 20 minutes, but the Hawkeyes built their double-digit halftime lead by scoring 16 points of 12 UND miscues.

UND only turned it over four times in the second half, but Iowa was in the double-bonus early and went 21-for-30 from the foul line after halftime. Iowa's All-Big Ten performer Peter Jok had 14 of his 18 in the second half and went a perfect 10-for-10 from the stripe, while Jordan Bohannon matched his point total and went 6-for-8 on free throws.

The Fighting Hawks trimmed the deficit to seven the first time after back-to-back treys by Hooker and Josh Collins in the opening three minutes after the break, but Iowa answered with an 8-2 run.

Iowa's lead would hover around double figures before Hooker once again pulled the Fighting Hawks within 64-57 on a pair of made free throws. Iowa ended any thoughts of a UND comeback, however, by putting the game away with an 11-2 run.

Iowa went the foul line 20 more times than UND in the contest, but the Fighting Hawks were efficient, making 12-of-14 attempts. Bernstine (4-for-4) and Hooker (7-for-7) led those efforts.

The Fighting Hawks will return to action on Dec. 29 with their Big Sky opener at Portland State.

-- UND --

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