MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Langston Reynolds scored 22 points, Cade Tyson scored 16 and Minnesota beat No. 19 Iowa 70-67 on Tuesday.
Bennett Stirtz scored 21 points in the second half to help Iowa State (12-3, 2-2 Big Ten) fight back from a 14-point second-half deficit to take the lead in the final two minutes.
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When Iowa State began to fight back, Minnesota (10-5, 3-1) led 58-44 with 6:36 left in the game. Stietz made six consecutive free throws, Kyle Coombs hit a three-pointer, and Stietz and Brendan Howson each hit a three-pointer to lead the team.
Cooper Koch’s driving layup with 1:13 left gave the Hawkeyes a 64-63 lead, their first lead since 20-18 with six minutes left in the first half.
Jalen Crocker-Johnson answered with a 3-pointer, but Minnesota missed three of four free throws in the final 35 seconds to open the door.
Isaac Asuma hit a two-pointer with 16.5 seconds left to give the Gophers a 70-67 lead. Iowa State got three good shots from beyond the arc in the final seconds but was unable to hit the game-tying shot. Fans rushed the field after the Gophers’ second home win against a ranked team this season.
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The Hawkeyes enter the game with the Big Ten’s top defense, allowing just 60.1 points per game, while the Gophers’ offense ranks second-to-last in the conference.
But the Gophers applied defensive pressure early, and Iowa State made just one of its first nine field goals as the Gophers jumped out to an early 12-3 lead. The Hawkeyes fought back with an explosive 17-4 run, with Koch hitting a three-pointer and scoring eight points in a row.
But Minnesota countered with 12 straight points, including two three-pointers by Tyson, and the Gophers led 31-24 at halftime.
On December 3, Minnesota upset Indiana, which was ranked 22nd at the time.
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Next
Minnesota will face USC on Friday.
Iowa State will face No. 16 Illinois on Saturday.
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