Bennett Stirtz (#3 Iowa) drives against Oregon defenders during the Iowa vs Oregon basketball game.
Basketball Recap: Bennett Stirtz’s Career Night Powers vs. Iowa Hawkeyes to Win 84-66 On February 1, 2026, Iowa and Oregon played a nationally televised Big Ten basketball game at Eugene’s Matthew Knight Arena. Iowa (16-5, 6-4 Big Ten) overcame a close first half to win 84-66.
The Hawkeyes overcame a one-point deficit to take a 35-26 halftime lead thanks to a late 17-4 run driven by three-pointers. Iowa led by at least nine points the remainder of the game and eventually extended the lead to twenty points in the second half, never giving up.
For instance, Iowa had a 17-15 deficit with 12:15 remaining in the first half, but they overcame it with a 17-4 run that included three 3-pointers from Stirtz.
The Hawkeyes dominated offensively under the direction of senior guard Bennett Stirtz. With seven assists and no turnovers, Stirtz scored a career-high 32 points on 12-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. After the half, he scored 21 of those points, and with an early layup in the second half, he even crossed the 2,000-point threshold for his career. “We had no answer for him,” Oregon coach Dana Altman admitted after the game, calling Stirtz “a projected first-round draft choice”.
Stirtz’s stat line was historic: his four 3-pointers matched the Iowa single-game record, and his 12 field goals tied a career high. He scored 20 points in four straight games, something no Hawkeye had done since early 2024. As a team, Iowa drained 45.5% of its 3-point attempts (10-of-22) and shot 58.9% (33-of-56). In addition, the Hawkeyes made a season-low five turnovers and outscored Oregon 44-26 in the paint. Iowa’s depth was demonstrated by the bench’s 34 points.
Iowa had an incredible comeback after halftime, scoring 49 points and making 69.2% of their shots. Oregon was devastated by this offensive outburst. Four Hawkeyes finished in double figures: guard Cooper Koch scored 10 points, guard Brendan Hausen scored 11, and junior forward Alvaro Folgueiras scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Despite holding a significant lead, Iowa’s defense pressed the perimeter and contested shots to hold Oregon to just 66 points, six fewer than the Ducks’ season average. “We were particularly focused on defense tonight, and we did much better.After the game, Iowa coach Ben McCollum remarked, “I was really pleased with it.”
Oregon was never able to return. Four regulars—Devon Pryor, Ege Demir, Nate Bittle, and Jackson Shelstad—were sidelined by injuries, leaving the Ducks short-staffed. Oregon shot only 41.1% from the floor and 24% (6-of-25) from three-point range. Although reserve guard Takai Simpkins scored 16 points and sophomore guard Kwame Evans Jr. scored a team-high 18, the deficits were too great. “We defensively just didn’t get it done… fundamentally we’re not sound at all,” Dana Altman bemoaned the breakdowns. Oregon lost for the eighth time in a row, falling to 8-14 (1-10).
Iowa’s victory was historic because it was the Hawkeyes’ first-ever victory in Eugene and increased their winning run in the Big Ten to four games, the longest since 2018–19. After an 0-4 start away from home, the Hawkeyes improved to 16-5 overall and have now won consecutive real road games.
Despite regrouping for a weekend trip to No. 12 Purdue on Saturday (CBS), Oregon (8-14) will take momentum into their road game against Washington in Seattle on Wednesday at 10 p.m. CT on BTN.
