Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz (14) drives to the basket past UMass-Lowell Xavier Spencer (11) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, December 29, 2025, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergal)

JOHN BOHNENKAMP | Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Bennett Stirtz scored 22 points as No. 25 Iowa finished the nonconference part of its schedule with a 90-62 win over UMass Lowell on Monday.

Iowa (11-2), which moved into The Associated Press Top 25 last week for the first time since the third week of the 2022-23 season, is off to its best start since the 2020-21 team opened 12-2. The Hawkeyes went 10-1 in nonconference play.

Cam Manyawu had 14 points and nine rebounds, Alvaro Folgueiras also scored 14 and Tavion Banks added 12 points for the Hawkeyes, who won their third consecutive game.

Stirtz, who was 7 of 13 from the field, also had eight assists, giving him 500 for his career.

Iowa took advantage of a size difference to score 54 points inside against the River Hawks. The Hawkeyes shot 58.2% for the game.

The Hawkeyes made eight of their first nine shots and led by 24 before taking a 47-30 advantage into halftime. Iowa shot 69.2% from the field in the period, with 14 assists on 18 field goals.

UMass Lowell pulled to 47-34 with 18:49 left before the Hawkeyes went on a 12-2 run to regain momentum. Iowa led by 33 late in the second half.

Angel Montas Jr. had 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting to lead UMass Lowell (5-10). Darrel Yepdo and Xavier Spencer each scored 10.

IOWA GAME NOTES

• The Hawkeyes closed out nonconference play with a 90-62 victory over UMass Lowell on Monday afternoon inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
• Iowa’s 11-2 start is the program’s best since the 2021-22 season (12-2).
• The Hawkeyes finish regular season nonconference play with a 10-1 mark – the best record in non-league play since the 2021-22 season (10-1).
• Iowa improves to 8-0 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
• Iowa has won its last three games by a combined 123 points.
• The Hawkeyes had four players finish in double figures: Bennett Stirtz (22), Alvaro Folgueiras (14), Cam Manyawu (14), Tavion Banks (12)
• Stirtz tallied his fifth 20-point game of the season, finishing with 22 points and eight assists.  He was 7-of-13 from the floor and 7-of-7 from the free throw line.
  • Stirtz has seven games with 6+ assists and two games with 8+ assists this season.
• Manyawu finished with 14 points and tied a season high with nine rebounds. He also tied a career high with three blocks.
  • He finished 6-of-8 from the field with his six field goals being a season high.
  • Manyawu scored eight of Iowa’s first 12 points, going 4-of-4 from the floor.
• The Hawkeyes scored 90+ points for the fifth time this season and has held all but one opponent below 70 points.
• Iowa shot 58.2 percent (32-of-55) from the field and had a season-best .917 (22-of-24) free throw percentage.
  • The Hawkeyes have shot better than 50 percent from the field in five consecutive games and in a total of 10 games this season.
• The Hawkeyes had 20 assists to just seven turnovers.
  • It was Iowa’s fifth game with 20 or more assists and the seventh game with fewer than 10 turnovers.
• Iowa had 10 steals in the game – its fifth game with 10 or more steals this season.
• The Hawkeyes jumped out to an 8-0 and 14-4 lead over the first 4 ½ minutes, making six of its first seven shots.
  • Iowa never trailed and led by as many as 33 points in the second half.

Up next

UMass Lowell hosts Albany on Saturday.

Iowa hosts UCLA in a Big Ten game Saturday.