Payton Sandfort and the Iowa Hawkeyes were able to pull off a huge win over the Penn State Nittany Lions on Friday night by a final score of 76-75. For a team that has been struggling recently, the win could be a momentum swing.

If the Hawkeyes truly want to turn their season around, Friday’s win must be just the beginning of an ascent, not simply delaying a further decline.

After three straight losses, Iowa basketball (13-7, 4-5 Big Ten) got back in the win column Friday night with a 76-75 victory vs. Penn State (13-7, 3-6 Big Ten) from Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes led for most of the night behind an impressive 28-for-56 (50%) shooting night from the floor, including 11-for-23 (47.8%) from beyond the arc.

The Penn State Nittany Lions visit the Iowa Hawkeyes for a Big Ten basketball game that could be key to their NCAA Tournament resume.

Iowa changed that against Penn State. The Hawkeyes led for more than 13 minutes in the first half, taking a five-point advantage into the break. It was Iowa’s most sustained stretch of quality play over the last few games.