Iowa’s Josh Dix and Payton Sandfort accomplished something Tuesday night that Division I teammates at a high-major school hadn’t pulled off in 14 years.
The duo each scored at least 30 points and made six 3-pointers during the Hawkeyes’ 97-87 overtime win over Nebraska, becoming the first teammates to do it in the same game since Notre Dame’s Tim Abromaitis and Ben Hansbrough pulled it off in 2011.
Dix and Sandfort try for an encore — and another Big Ten Conference victory — Saturday night when the Hawkeyes host Indiana in Iowa City.
Dix gunned in a career-high 31 points, made seven triples and tied a career best with seven assists, while Sandfort saved all 30 of his points the second half and overtime, tying his career high. He canned six 3-pointers as Iowa (11-4, 2-2) erased a 15-point second-half deficit.
Hawkeyes coach Fran McCaffery couldn’t stop praising Dix’s performance, noting that he nearly played all 45 minutes.
“He played as hard as he could, every possession, on both ends of the floor,” McCaffery said. “He made phenomenal decisions, made big shots, made big plays.”
The Hoosiers’ win on Wednesday wasn’t quite as dramatic as Iowa’s, but their 82-69 home decision over Southern California counted just the same. Indiana trailed by 10 in the first half but got the game even by halftime, then controlled the second half behind 7-foot center Oumar Ballo, who finished with 23 points and eight rebounds.
With Malik Reneau and his 14.1 ppg on the shelf due to a right knee injury, the Hoosiers (13-3, 4-1) have played through Ballo and reaped the rewards. The Arizona transfer went 9-of-11 from the field on Wednesday after a 25-point, 13-rebound effort Sunday in a victory over Penn State.
“That’s why we brought him here,” Indiana coach Mike Woodson said. “He’s a big piece to the puzzle. He has to continue to play well.”
Myles Rice added 19 points against USC, more than making up for the first scoreless game of Mackenzie Mgbako’s 49-game college career. Mgbako was 0-for-8 from the field and sat out the last 12:46.
Indiana owns a 107-82 lead in the series, winning last season’s matchup 74-68.
–Field Level Media
