IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Trevor Mbakwe scored 22 of his 24 points in the second half and Minnesota snapped a four-game losing streak by pounding Iowa 62-45 Sunday.
Rodney Williams added 13 points for the Gophers (17-8, 6-7 Big Ten), who put an end to their longest skid under coach Tubby Smith by dominating the once-surging Hawkeyes.
Minnesota erased an early deficit with a 24-6 run to end the first half. Mbakwe’s layup and jumper pushed the Gophers’ lead to 38-23, and Minnesota extended the margin to 48-27 with 8:01 to play.
Bryce Cartwright had 11 points and seven assists to lead Iowa (10-15, 3-10), which shot just 34 percent from the floor and 21 percent (6 of 28) from 3-point range.
