IOWA CITY, Iowa (Interstat) — The Iowa Hawkeyes opened their season with a dominant 101-69 victory over the Robert Morris Colonials in a non-conference men’s basketball game Tuesday night at a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Hawkeyes, heavily favored entering the contest, showcased a potent and efficient offense from the outset, building a 49-26 lead by halftime and never relenting. Iowa’s offensive execution was clinical, as they scored 101 points on just 70 possessions, translating to an elite offensive rating of 144.5. The Colonials, by contrast, managed an offensive rating of 100.8.

Iowa’s attack was multifaceted, excelling both inside and at the free-throw line. The Hawkeyes outscored Robert Morris 44-22 in the paint and capitalized on a staggering 44 free-throw attempts, making 36. They also feasted on Colonial mistakes, converting 22 Robert Morris turnovers into 33 points while committing only 11 turnovers themselves.

Bennett Stirtz led all scorers for Iowa, pouring in 19 points and dishing out six assists. Tavion Banks provided a major spark off the bench, scoring 17 points in just 19 minutes of action. Alvaro Folgueiras also made a significant contribution with 11 points, five rebounds and three assists.

The Colonials were led by Nikolaos Chitikoudis, who nearly recorded a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds. DeSean Goode and Ryan Prather added 11 and 12 points, respectively. Robert Morris struggled with ball security and failed to score any fastbreak points, while Iowa tallied 13.

The game was the season opener for both teams. Iowa improved to 1-0 and will host Western Illinois on Friday. Robert Morris fell to 0-1 and travels to face Drake on Thursday.