IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP)—Freshman Matt Gatens scored 15 points and Iowa cruised past Charleston Southern 68-48 Friday night in the season opener for both teams.
Jake Kelly and freshman Anthony Tucker each added 10 points for the Hawkeyes (1-0), who shot 51 percent from the field and committed just seven turnovers.
Iowa broke open a tight game with a 16-4 run to start the second half. Jeff Peterson followed a Cyrus Tate putback with a jumper in the paint, and Kelly buried an open 3 to give the Hawkeyes a 45-29 lead with 12:40 left.
Junior college transfer Jermain Davis’s dunk pushed Iowa’s lead to 20, 52-32.
Iowa started three true freshmen; Gatens, Tucker and forward Aaron Fuller, along with senior forward Cyrus Tate and sophomore Jeff Peterson.
Jamarco Warren scored 18 to lead Charleston Southern (0-1).
