Iowa 78 - Iowa State 64: Jok ‘n Roll

Peter Jok led Iowa in scoring with 23 en-route to a very solid win against that other school in Iowa. And unlike during that four game slide, the Hawks played solid defense to complement a team-wide offensive effort. Isaiah Moss and Cordell Pemsl made key contributions, accounting for 14 and 11 points respectively. After trading some blows early in the first half, Iowa went on a tear, racking up 10 unanswered points. And for the rest of the game, Iowa never led by less than 7.

Peter Jok turned in a “sub-par” performance, scoring 23 which was below his 23.9 average, but he still did plenty of Peter Jok things like shooting threes from the most ridiculous places on the court. Nicholas Baer was the soul of Iowa’s rejuvenated defense with 8 rebounds, 2 steals and a block without committing a single turnover. He continues to show the same kind of hustle that he did last season, but with what looks to be a little bit more polish.

Isaiah Moss showed some definite range, contributing both in the paint with some incredibly acrobatic finishes and from deep. I personally can not wait to see what he will be able to do with a little more experience. After last week’s scare, it was good to see Ahmad Wagner return in this game, looking healthy. And this was really the story of the game. Iowa’s youth was on fire in this game, and if they can become a little more consistent, they will be something special in the years to come, if not this season. But after Iowa upset the Cyclones, it still feels like almost anything is possible this season.

Coming up on Saturday: Iowa continues the battle to truly make this the Hawkeye State, taking on UNI on Saturday.