MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nate Mason scored 33 points as Minnesota snapped a nine-game losing streak with an 86-82 victory over Iowa on Wednesday night.
Dupree McBrayer scored 16 for Minnesota (15-15, 4-13 Big Ten), Jordan Murphy had 10 points and 10 rebounds and Davonte Fitzgerald also scored 10.
Isaiah Moss led Iowa with a career-high 32 points, including 19 in the final two minutes as the Hawkeyes (12-18, 3-14) fought their way back from an early 20-point deficit. Luka Garza added 16 points and Ryan Kriener scored a career-high 15 as the Hawkeyes lost their sixth straight.
Minnesota stormed to a 22-2 lead thanks in large part to an ice-cold start by Iowa. In the Hawkeyes’ first 16 possessions they went 1-for-8 shooting from the floor with no offensive rebounds and eight turnovers.
Meanwhile Mason scored 12 points, the last coming on a three-point play to put the hosts up by 20 eight minutes in.
Then it was Minnesota’s turn for a scoring drought. The Gophers went 7½ minutes without a point as Iowa cobbled together an 11-0 run.
The Gophers finally responded as Murphy hit a baby hook as the shot clock expired to restore Minnesota’s lead to double digits. The junior forward ended the half by slamming home an alley-oop pass from Mason to give Minnesota a 31-19 halftime lead.
Iowa clawed back to as close as two points in the second half as Moss went on a late tear. The sophomore guard’s third 3-pointer made the score 84-82 with three left before Fitzgerald hit two free throws to ice it for Minnesota.
Both teams are assured of a bottom-four finish in the conference standings and could face each other again in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday in New York.
Big Picture
Iowa: Sophomore guard Jordan Bohannon, the Hawkeyes’ second-leading scorer on the season at 13.2 points per game, was held scoreless for the first time all season. He distributed six assists.
Minnesota: Senior center Bakary Konate grabbed nine rebounds in the first half and finished with two points and 10 boards.