Sandfort scores 22, Iowa ends Rutgers’ streak 76-65

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Payton Sandfort more than doubled his season average with 22 points, Filip Rebraca had a double-double and Iowa ended Rutgers’ five-game winning streak with a 76-65 victory on Sunday.

Sandfort, who was 4 of 28 from the field, including 1 of 14 from 3-point range, in the first four Big Ten Conference games, lit up the Scarlet Knights, particularly in the second half.

The sophomore guard was 6-of-8 shooting, 4 of 5 behind the arc, and 6 of 7 from the foul line. He scored 14 points, going 3 of 3 from distance, after intermission. He had been averaging 8.3 points, but just 3.3 in league.

The Hawkeyes stretched a 42-30 halftime lead to 54-36 when Kris Murray hit a 3-pointer at the 15:41 mark. Shortly after that Rutgers reeled off 12 straight points. Sandfort then scored the next 11 Iowa points, the first nine on 3-pointers, and a Connor McCaffery 3 made it 69-57 with 4:01 to play.

Rutgers got back within 71-65 and had the ball with under a minute left but couldn’t connect while Iowa made 5 of 7 free throws.

Murray had 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting with three 3s and Rebraca had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Iowa (10-6, 2-), which was coming off a win over No. 15 Indiana after losing three straight.

The Hawkeyes were 7 of 14 on 3-pointers in the second half while going 2 of 11 inside the arc.

Cam Spencer had 13 points for Rutgers (10-5, 3-2) and Caleb McConnell had 12. The Scarlet Knights had three wins in the last week, starting with a win at No. 1 Purdue last Monday.

Rebraca scored 12 points in the first half when Iowa shot 52% and took a 42-30 lead. The Hawkeyes scored the first eight points of the game and the last eight of the half, six by Sandfort. He was fouled on a 3-pointer and then drilled his free throw that made it a 12-point game.

Rutgers goes to Northwestern on Wednesday and Michigan is at Iowa on Thursday.

Connor McCaffery, son of Iowa coach Fran McCaffery, was helped to the locker room with 19.5 seconds to play after clipping his head on the shoulder of a Rutgers player setting a screen in the back court. Patrick McCaffery stepped away from the team earlier in the week to deal with anxiety.

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