Freddy Hicks stuffed the box score with 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to lead the Arkansas State men’s basketball team, but Iowa pulled away late to take an 88-74 decision inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena Friday night.
Hicks’ game-high output helped him eclipse the 1,000 points mark for his career, as he connected on seven field goals, including three from the perimeter and four from the foul line.
A-State (1-3) pulled to within a possession multiple times in the first half, and out-rebounded the Hawkeyes (3-1) 44-39. The Red Wolves shot 41.2 percent (28-68) from the floor and 41.7 percent (10-24) from 3-point range, while limiting Iowa to just 2-for-12 from deep.
Three other Red Wolves scored in double figures, with Taryn Todd scoring 16 points on 7-of-17 with six boards. Caleb Fields hit 5-of-6 and went 3-for-3 from long range for 14 points, with Derrian Ford recording a career-high 11 points and seven boards.
Ben Krikke led five Hawkeyes in double digits with 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting, helping the hosts shoot 46.6 percent (27-58) from the field. Iowa also shot 69.6 percent from the charity stripe, converting 32 of 46 attempts.
Iowa scored the game’s first seven points, but A-State pulled within two on a trey by Fields. The Hawkeyes expanded their lead back out to as much as seven before Hicks capped a 6-0 run that made it a 34-33 affair with 4:54 to play. Hicks then tied at 36-all with a 3-point make, giving him 17 points at the half, but Iowa closed the half on a 13-3 run to lead 49-39 at the break.
The Hawkeyes opened the second half with six unanswered to put their lead back out to 16, but Ford answered with five straight points to cut it back to 11. A-State then pulled to within nine at the 9:58 mark on a trey by Dyondre Dominguez, and then a layup by Todd with 8:09 to play made it an 8-point affair. A Krikke score sparked a 6-0 Hawkeye run before the Red Wolves once again made it a 10-point game with 2:23 remaining. Iowa then closed its scoring with six consecutive points, and then Ford ended the night with a layup in transition.
NEXT UP
A-State returns to the hardwood next Friday, Nov. 24, against San Diego in the Acrisure Invitational. Tip-off from Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, Calif., is slated for 9:30 p.m. CT. A-State then face either Hawaii or UTRGV on Saturday.
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