Payton Sandfort leads Iowa’s second-half rally in victory over Utah

Payton Sandfort scored 24 points to lead Iowa to a 95-88 win over Utah in a nonconference neutral site game on Saturday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Sandfort scored 19 points in the second half as the Hawkeyes (9-3) turned an 11-point deficit into a double-digit lead of their own. He also grabbed eight rebounds.

Lawson Lovering had a career-high 25 points and Mason Madsen contributed 24 points with six 3-pointers, six rebounds and four assists for the Utes.

This was Iowa’s first-ever win against Utah (8-3), which defeated the Hawkeyes in the second round of the NIT last spring.

Owen Freeman added 16 points, Josh Dix and Drew Thelwell each had 15 and Brock Harding contributed 12 points as all five Iowa starters scored in double figures in the win.

Utah, completing its non-conference schedule, opened the second half with a 7-0 run to take a 47-36 lead.

Iowa took advantage of the Utes’ advantage and eventually pulled within 63-63 after Sandfort scored six straight goals for the Hawkeyes.

The teams traded leads over the next few minutes until Sandfort gave Iowa the lead for good with a layup at 6:45.

That sparked a 15-5 victory for Iowa, which took a 10-point lead (90-80) after a Josh Dix layup with 2:15 left.

The Hawkeyes scored the first seven points and held Utah scoreless for the first three minutes and 44 seconds.

Iowa led 21-14 when the Utes made their first play of the game. Madsen hit three 3-pointers and Lovering added a pair of layups in a 13-3 run that gave Utah a 27-24 lead.

Thelwell and Sandfort scored three points after a layup by Mason Madsen, giving Iowa a one-point lead.

Madsen hit his fourth three-pointer of the half in a 7-2 run and the Utes took a 40-36 lead at the break after Madsen assisted Lovering on a last-second dunk.

–Field level media