Iowa Basketball Buries Golden Gophers

Hawkeyes Pick Up Road Win Monday at Minnesota

The historic win was inevitable.

But it still brought out the emotions in Fran McCaffery, who became Iowa’s all-time winningest men’s basketball coach with Monday’s 86-77 win at Minnesota.

It was the 272nd win for McCaffery at Iowa, passing the mark set by Tom Davis from 1986-99.

"I came here 14 years ago, I was so proud to be the Hawkeye coach," McCaffery said in his post-game interview on the Hawkeye Radio Network. "I was so familiar with the history of this program and the great teams and the great players and the great coaches. I never thought that at some point I'd be compared with Dr. Tom, and would actually be here long enough to break that record."

It was the sixth win in seven games for the Hawkeyes (11-6 overall, 3-3 Big Ten), who have won three consecutive games heading into Saturday’s home game with No. 2 Purdue. They moved into a tie for sixth place in the conference standings, and are only a game out of second place.

It wasn’t that long ago that Iowa suffered through a brutal three-loss stretch in road games to Purdue and Iowa State and a home game against Michigan. Since then, the team has rebounded, with the only loss in that stretch coming at 11th-ranked and conference-leading Wisconsin.

McCaffery has always embraced the history of Iowa’s program since arriving in Iowa City, and it was clear in his post-game interviews on TV and radio the emotional significance of the record to him.

Other takeaways from Monday’s win:

REVERSING THE START: Iowa fell behind 14-3, then turned that around with a 17-4 run that gave the Hawkeyes control of the game that they never relinquished.

The Hawkeyes led 39-32 at halftime, then shot 60 percent in the second half to hold off the Gophers (12-5, 3-3).

There have been plenty of signs of how this team has matured, but the reversal of momentum in this game was one of the best indications of how much this team has come together since early December.

KRIKKE INSIDE: Fifth-year forward Ben Krikke has been the most consistent of the Hawkeyes this season, and he showed that again, tying a season-high with 25 points.

Krikke has scored 20 points or more in six games this season, and he has scored in double figures in 15 of Iowa’s 17 games.

The Gophers had no defense for Krikke, who was 11-of-17 from the field in almost 37 minutes. It was his third game of 10 or more field goals this season.

Krikke was Iowa’s choice in the NCAA transfer portal last season after a big career at Valparaiso. McCaffery doesn’t dip into the portal much, but has always found success. Krikke was the perfect find for this team.

JOSH DIX’S EMERGENCE: Dix’s first start of the season at Iowa State was shaky, but it has proven to be a good education for the sophomore guard.

Dix, put into the starting lineup in place of injured forward Patrick McCaffery, scored a career-high 21 points, just three days after setting his previous career high of 16 points in the home win over Nebraska.

Dix also had five assists against two turnovers, and went 7-of-12 from the field, including two 3-pointers.

Dix was never fully healthy last season as he recovered from a broken leg suffered during his senior season in high school. But not only is he at 100 percent health now, he’s also playing with plenty of confidence.

THIS AND THAT: Tony Perkins continues to effectively run the offense. He had 13 points, but also five assists against one turnover. … Owen Freeman had a 12-point, 8-rebound night despite playing with foul trouble from late in the first half until he fouled out late in the game. … Patrick McCaffery’s absence gave more playing time to freshman Ladji Dembele, who didn’t score but had six rebounds and two steals.