Gophers At Iowa for Super Bowl Sunday Matinee

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Broadcast: BTN (Jeff Levering, pbp), Shon Morris (color)
Tip Time: 2:07 p.m. CT
Radio: Radio: KFAN 100.3 FM (Mike Grimm, Al Nolen)
Sirius: SiriusXM 384 and on the SiriusXM App

SERIES INFORMATION*
198th Meeting (102-95 all time)
Road Record at Iowa: 39-55
Gophers All-Time vs. Big Ten: 793-905
* - excludes vacated games

STARTING FIVE
• Minnesota is back in action Super Bowl Sunday when the Golden Gophers travel to Iowa at 2 p.m. Sunday's matinee marks the second appearance in 27 days for the two teams, last meeting Jan. 15 at Williams Arena. Reaching just over the halfway point of the B1G season in a 20-game league schedule, Minnesota is 6-5 and looking for four-straight after wins at Penn State and home against Northwestern and Michigan State.
• The last time Minnesota was 6-5 through 11 Big Ten games was 2018-19, when the Gophers started 6-4. The last time the Gophers won three-consecutive Big Ten games (with no non-conference games in between) was eight-straight from Feb. 4 to March 2, 2017. Minnesota also won three-straight Big Ten games earlier this year (Nebraska, Michigan and Maryland, however played four nonconference games in that stretch.
• Minnesota is 102-95 all time against the Hawkeyes and 39-55 on Iowa's home court. Minnesota is looking to snap a five-game streak against Iowa and its first win in Carver Hawkeye Arena since 2015. In the Jan. 15 meeting, Iowa earned an 86-77 win over Minnesota. Dawson Garcia scored 30 points in the loss, while Joshua Ola-Joseph had 15 and Cam Christie had 12. Iowa shot 53.8 percent from the field, while Minnesota was held to 48.3 percent. The Hawkeyes also out rebounded the Gophers, 37-30.
• Minnesota is coming off a win Tuesday against Michigan State at Williams Arena, 59-56. Freshman Cam Christie paved the way with 19 points, followed by Dawson Garcia with 10. The Gophers were 9-of-17 (.529) from the field, including 5-of-9 (.556) from three-point range in the second half, while holding the Spartans to just 9-of-26 (.346) from the field (2-of-10 3FGs) after the break.
• In the past four games, Minnesota has allowed an average of just 64.3 points per game. In the loss to Wisconsin, it was the lowest points the Badgers scored in Big Ten play. Against Northwestern, the Gophers held the Wildcats for a tie of their second-lowest Big Ten point production game. In the win over Michigan State, it was the fewest points the Spartans scored all season as the Gophers allowed just 56 points.

BALANCED SCORING
• The Gophers had five score in double figures in the Northwestern win, which was the eighth time this season. The Gophers had five individuals in double figure scoring against UTSA, New Orleans, Nebraska, Ball State, Maine, at Michigan, at Penn State and vs. Northwestern. Minnesota has also had four score in double digits this year (vs. UAPB, FGCU, IUPUI and Maryland). When the Gophers have four or more players score double-digits, the they are 12-0.

HAWKINS ASSIST LEADER
• Elijah Hawkins tops the nation in assists per game (7.7) and ranks fourth nationally in total assists at 162. Against Michigan State, Hawkins also established his 500th career assist. The junior transfer from Howard has had three double-double point/assist games. Hawkins also has had games in which he had double-digit points, including three against Big Ten opponents. The Washington, D.C., native also has five double-digit assist games this season. He also ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 37th nationally in assist/turnover ratio at 2.84.

LAST GAME RECAP
• Cam Christie scored 14 of his team-high 19 points in the second half, to defeat Michigan State 59-56 at Williams Arena. Christie made 5-of-8 field goals, including 5-of-7 from three-point range, and added six rebounds. Dawson Garcia added 10 points, Pharrel Payne had eight points and a team-best seven rebounds, Parker Fox came off the bench for eight points and four boards, and Elijah Hawkins finished with six points and six assists for the Gophers.
• The game was tied eight times and there were nine lead changes. Minnesota forced seven first-half turnovers and scored 10 points off those miscues.
• Minnesota narrowly outscored the Spartans 11-8 in bench points, which now the Gophers hold a 13-5 record when scoring more bench points than their opponents.

ABOUT IOWA
• Iowa is 13-10 this season and 5-7 in the Big Ten after a loss Thursday night at Penn State, 89-79. The Hawkeyes have gone 2-3 in their last five games and picked up wins at Michigan and home vs. Ohio State. Iowa dropped contests to Maryland, at Indiana and at PSU.
• Iowa have four players averaging double-figure scoring, led by senior guard Tony Perkins at 15.5 ppg. Perkins also leads the team in assists (98) and steals (41). He's followed closely behind Ben Krikke (15.0 ppg), Payton Sandfort (14.7) and Owen Freeman (10.6). Sandfort holds the team's best rebounding average at 6.6 per game and also has a team-best 64 three-pointers this season shooting 38 percent in 165 attempts. Also seeing time in 23 games this season is Josh Dix, who has started in nine games and has made 20 of 44 threes. He averages 7.4 points.
• As a team, Iowa is scoring 84 points per game, while allowing 77.7. The Hawkeyes are shooting 48 percent from the field and 34.1 from three-point range. Iowa is also 77.6 percent from the charity stripe and average 36.1 rebounds per game.

ON THE DOCKET
• Minnesota is on the road for the second-straight game when it travels to No. 2 Purdue, Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised on BTN.
• Mike Grimm and Al Nolen will provide the radio broadcast on KFAN 100.3 FM.

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Players Mentioned

Cam Christie

Parker Fox

Dawson Garcia

Elijah Hawkins

Joshua Ola-Joseph

Pharrel Payne