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Utah Utes @ Iowa Hawkeyes

Current Records: Utah 8-2, Iowa 8-3

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Utah has enjoyed the comforts of home their last six games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in a holiday battle at 6:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at at Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Utah is headed into the match following a big win against Florida A&M on Tuesday, something the oddsmakers some coming from a mile away. Utah took their game with ease, bagging an 89-59 victory over Florida A&M. With the Utes ahead 50-31 at the half, the contest was all but over already.

Utah got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Mike Sharavjamts out in front who went 6 for 7 en route to 15 points. Sharavjamts had some trouble finding his footing against Radford on Saturday, so this was a nice turnaround. Mason Madsen was another key player, going 5 for 9 en route to 15 points plus three steals.

Utah was working as a unit and finished the game with 25 assists (they're ranked first in assists per game overall). They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Florida A&M only posted 11.

Meanwhile, Iowa humbled New Orleans with a 104-57 smackdown. That 47 point margin sets a new team best for the Hawkeyes this season.

Owen Freeman was the offensive standout of the matchup as he went 10 for 12 en route to 22 points plus three blocks. What's more, he also posted a 83.3% field goal percentage, which is the highest he's posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Brock Harding, who went 5 for 6 en route to 13 points plus six assists and two steals.

Utah is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matches, which provided a nice bump to their 8-2 record this season. As for Iowa, their victory bumped their record up to 8-3.

Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the two teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Utah hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 86.6 points per game. However, it's not like Iowa struggles in that department as they've been averaging 87.2. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.

Utah was able to grind out a solid win over Iowa when the teams last played back in March, winning 91-82. The rematch might be a little tougher for Utah since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.

Series History

Utah won the only game these two teams have played in the last 0 years.

  • Mar 24, 2024 - Utah 91 vs. Iowa 82