STOCKTON, Calif. (Interstat) — The Iowa Wolves withstood a furious second-half rally and a 36-point performance from DaQuan Jeffries to edge the Stockton Kings 114-109 in a G League contest Tuesday night at Stockton Arena.

In a game where the national statistical ELO system heavily favored the home team, the Wolves built a commanding early lead only to see it nearly evaporate in the final minutes before securing the victory at the free-throw line.

Iowa seized control with a dominant second quarter, outscoring Stockton 28-18 to turn a three-point deficit after the first quarter into a 53-46 halftime advantage. The Wolves extended their lead to as many as 17 points in the second half, but the Kings chipped away behind Jeffries’ scoring. The Stockton forward finished with 36 points, five rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes.

The Kings’ rally culminated in a tense final minute. Trailing 107-105 with 28 seconds left, Stockton sent Jules Bernard to the line, and the Iowa guard sank both free throws. After a Daeqwon Plowden dunk cut the lead to two again, Bernard was fouled once more and again made both free throws with 14 seconds remaining to put Iowa up 111-107.

Following a Stockton timeout, Plowden committed his sixth foul, sending Enrique Freeman to the line. Freeman made one of two, but Mitch Mascari’s jumper with two seconds left brought Stockton within 112-109. Bernard iced the game with two more free throws with one second on the clock, part of a perfect 6-for-6 performance from the line in the final 28 seconds.

Bernard finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. He was supported by Jalen Crutcher, who led the Wolves with 25 points and eight assists, and Alize Johnson of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, who added 14 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Center Rocco Zikarsky, from the Sunshine Coast, Australia, contributed 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.

For Stockton, Plowden scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Jon Elmore added 17 points and four assists. Isaiah Stevens chipped in 14 points.

The Wolves improved to 20-13 with the win, while the Kings fell to 19-10.

Iowa’s offense proved efficient, scoring 114 points on 93 possessions for an offensive rating of 122.7. The Wolves dominated the glass, outrebounding Stockton 48-35, including a 12-6 advantage on the offensive boards. That helped offset Stockton’s superior shooting from beyond the arc, where the Kings made 14 of 35 attempts compared to Iowa’s 7 of 28.

The most critical phase of the game was Iowa’s second-quarter surge, which established a cushion that ultimately survived Stockton’s late push. The Wolves also executed flawlessly in the closing seconds, with Bernard’s clutch free-throw shooting denying the Kings any chance for a tying three-pointer.

Iowa hosts Maine on Saturday. Stockton travels to face Texas on Friday.