IOWA CITY, Iowa (Interstat) — Iowa used a dominant first half and clutch free-throw shooting to defeat UCLA 74-61 in a nonconference men’s basketball game Saturday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Hawkeyes built a 40-22 halftime lead behind Bennett Stirtz, who scored 27 points. UCLA’s Donovan Dent fueled a second-half surge, scoring 25 points and cutting the deficit to two points, but Iowa sealed the win at the line, making 22 of 26 free throws. The Bruins shot just 3 of 14 from 3-point range.

Iowa improved to 12-2. UCLA fell to 10-4.