IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — It had been over three decades since Iowa had last finished its non-conference team schedule undefeated. But the 24th-ranked Hawkeyes will resume Big Ten play next week at 0-2 in the league — and coming off one of their ugliest wins in years. Tyler Cook scored 19 points with 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double in seven games and 24th-ranked Iowa held off lowly Bryant 72-67 on Saturday night. Jordan Bohannon had 17 points for the Hawkeyes (11-2), who swept their out of league opponents for the first time since 1986-87.

Iowa hardly looked like it was ready for what’s coming. The pesky Bulldogs (3-8) pestered the Hawkeyes with a slow tempo — and even tied it at 66-all with 3:08 left. Cook gave Iowa the lead back with a layup, and the Hawkeyes forced a subsequent shot-clock violation. Bryant’s Adam Grant then missed an open look at a potential game-tying 3 with 24 seconds left, and Bohannon sealed it at the free throw line.

Bryant showed it was ready to give the Hawkeyes a game from the get-go, as Grant scored 12 of the Bulldogs’ first 13 points — and buried a 3 at the buzzer — to help keep them within 43-34 at the break. The Bulldogs then opened the second half on a 10-2 run to get within a point of Iowa’s lead, and Grant’s 3 with 5:37 left cut the lead to 64-62. Joe Kasperzyk then tied it up on a layup. Grant had 20 of his 23 points in the opening 20 minutes for Bryant. The Bulldogs hit 10 3s after shooting just 27.8 percent entering play.

The Hawkeyes played a relatively ambitious non-conference slate, going up against the likes of Oregon, Connecticut, Pitt and Iowa State — and their first two Big Ten games were against No. 15 Wisconsin and No. 8 Michigan State. It’s understandable, then, that coach Fran McCaffery would finish December with Western Carolina, Savannah State and Bryant. But the Hawkeyes looked lost at times against a team they might beat by 40 if they played again. Iowa could be at risk of dropping out of the Top 25 on Monday after barely beating a team that Yale thumped by 42 points.

Iowa’s team stat sheet wasn’t indicative of one for a squad that could only beat one of the worst teams in America by five points. The Hawkeyes shot 46 percent from the floor, 36 on 3s and 67.7 on free throws — not great numbers, but not terrible ones either. Iowa also forced 13 turnovers and had 16 assists on 21 baskets.
UP NEXT: Iowa travels to Purdue on Thursday.