Who’s Playing
Minnesota Golden Gophers @ Iowa Hawkeyes
Current Records: Minnesota 15-7, Iowa 13-10
How To Watch
What to Know
Minnesota has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They and the Iowa Hawkeyes will face off in a Big Ten battle at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Minnesota, who comes in off a win.
Even though Minnesota has not done well against the Spartans recently (they were 2-8 in their previous ten matchups), they didn’t let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Golden Gophers had just enough and edged the Spartans out 59-56. For those keeping track at home, that’s the closest win Minnesota has posted since January 4th.
Cam Christie was the offensive standout of the match as he scored 19 points along with six rebounds. Less helpful for Minnesota was Elijah Hawkins’ abysmal 0-5 three-point shooting.
Meanwhile, the oddsmakers set the bar high, but Iowa and the Nittany Lions didn’t disappoint and broke past the 163.5 point over/under on Thursday. The Hawkeyes took a 89-79 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Nittany Lions. Iowa didn’t live up to their potential and found themselves falling short of the advantage oddsmakers thought they had coming into the game.
The loss doesn’t tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Owen Freeman, who scored nine points along with five rebounds and two steals. Ben Krikke was another key contributor, scoring 22 points along with five rebounds.
The Golden Gophers’ victory bumped their record up to 15-7. As for the Hawkeyes, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-10.
Sunday’s game is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Minnesota just can’t miss this season, having made 47.4% of their shots per game. However, it’s not like Iowa struggles in that department as they’ve made 48% of their shots this season. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Minnesota came up short against the Hawkeyes in their previous meeting back in January, falling 86-77. Can Minnesota avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We’ll find out soon enough.
Series History
Iowa has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Minnesota.
- Jan 15, 2024 – Iowa 86 vs. Minnesota 77
- Feb 12, 2023 – Iowa 68 vs. Minnesota 56
- Feb 06, 2022 – Iowa 71 vs. Minnesota 59
- Jan 16, 2022 – Iowa 81 vs. Minnesota 71
- Jan 10, 2021 – Iowa 86 vs. Minnesota 71
- Dec 25, 2020 – Minnesota 102 vs. Iowa 95
- Feb 16, 2020 – Iowa 58 vs. Minnesota 55
- Dec 09, 2019 – Iowa 72 vs. Minnesota 52
- Jan 27, 2019 – Minnesota 92 vs. Iowa 87
- Feb 21, 2018 – Minnesota 86 vs. Iowa 82
