Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz attempts to get past Northwestern forward Nick Martinelli during a basketball game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Northwestern Wildcats at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. The Hawkeyes defeated the Wildcats 76-70. (Photo: Samantha DeFily/The Daily Iowan)

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Bennett Stirtz scored a career-high 36 points and Iowa upped its winning streak to six games by handing Northwestern a seventh straight loss with a 76-70 victory over the Wildcats on Sunday.

Stirtz made made 12 of 20 shots and all eight of his free throws for the Hawkeyes (18-5, 8-4 Big Ten Conference). The senior guard hit 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Tavion Banks added 13 points and seven rebounds.

Nick Martinelli scored 21 on 6-for-19 shooting for the Wildcats (10-14, 2-11). Jake West sank four 3-pointers and scored 18. Tre Singleton had 10 points before fouling out.

West buried a 3-pointer to give Northwestern an 18-13 lead with 8:31 remaining in the first half. The Wildcats played with the lead until a three-point play by Stirtz tied it 30-all with 2:13 left. Stirtz added two free throw, Kael Combs hit a jumper and Banks scored the final five points in a 12-5 run to give Iowa a 39-35 advantage at halftime.

Combs had the first basket of the second half and Stirtz followed with a 3-pointer to push the lead to nine. Stirtz added another 3-pointer and the Hawkeyes took their first double-digit lead at 54-40 with 13 minutes left.

West answered with a 3-pointer to spark a 13-2 run and Northwestern pulled within 56-53 four minutes later. Stirtz hit a 3-pointer to keep Iowa in front and the Hawkeyes maintained a two-possession lead until West hit another 3 to cut it to 70-67 with two minutes left. Stirtz drove for a layup and Banks added two free throws to wrap it up.

IOWA GAME NOTES

• The Hawkeyes won their sixth straight game, downing Northwestern, 76-70, on Super Bowl Sunday inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
• Iowa improves to 18-5 overall – matching the team’s best record through 23 games since the 2018-19 season.
• The team is 8-4 in Big Ten play – the team’s best start in league action since the 2015-16 season (10-1 start).
• It is the first time since the 2015-16 season that Iowa has won six consecutive Big Ten contests.
• Iowa improves to 12-1 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
• The Hawkeyes have won 11 straight over Northwestern in Iowa City, dating back to the 2012-13 season.
• Iowa had two players finish in double figures: Bennett Stirtz (36), Tavion Banks (13)
• Stirtz scored 20+ for the sixth straight game, netting a career-high 36 points on 12-of-20 shooting, 4-of-6 from 3-point range and 8-of-8 from the free throw line. He also had two assists and two steals. He has scored 30+ in two of the last three contests.
  • Stirtz’s 36 points are the most by a Hawkeye since Luka Garza (36) in 2021 and are tied for the fourth-most by a player in Carver-Hawkeye Arena history. 
  • Stirtz is the first Iowa player to score 20+ in six straight contests since Keegan Murray during the 2021-22 season.
  • He is the first Hawkeye guard to score 20+ in six straight games since downtown Freddy Brown during the 1970-71 season (16 straight 20+ point contests).
  • Stirtz has scored 90 points over his last three games, the most since Keegan Murray (24, 37, 30) scored 91 in a three-game stretch in Feb. 2022.
  • Stirtz finished 4-of-6 from 3-point range – his third straight game with four 3s. He has made two or more 3s in nine of the last 10 games.
• Iowa finished 23-of-29 from the free throw line; NU was 20-of-22.
  • The Hawkeyes are 14-0 this season when shooting more free throws than their opponent.
• The Hawkeyes out-rebounded Northwestern, 34-22, moving to 13-2 when having more rebounds.
• Iowa finished 5-of-16 from the 3-point line – the fewest makes in a game since Dec. 29 against UMass Lowell. 
• The Hawkeyes trailed by as many as six points in the first half. Iowa used a 10-0 and 17-8 run to build a 39-35 lead at the break. 

Up Next

Iowa: At Maryland on Wednesday.

Northwestern: Hosts No. 2 Michigan on Wednesday.