Saturday, December 20
Des Moines, Iowa
6 p.m. ET
Bucknell University
3-10,0-0Patriot
39
vs
94
Iowa
10-2,1-1Big Ten
1
2
F
Bucknell
21
18
39
Iowa
43
51
94
Men’s Basketball Closes out Non-League Play with Loss to No. 25 Iowa
12/20/2025 8:14:00 PM | Men's Basketball
DES MOINES, Iowa – Alvaro Folgueiras scored 17 points to lead No. 25 Iowa to a 94-39 win over a shorthanded Bucknell team on Saturday evening at Casey's Center. Ruot Bijiek, playing only a few miles from his hometown of Waukee, scored nine points to lead the Bison, who finished up a very difficult non-league schedule at 3-10.
Playing without five injured players, the Bison got out to a terrific start, leading 10-2 after Grgur Brcic's alley-oop finish off Jayden Williams' lob. Bijiek, performing in front of dozens of friends and family members, thrilled the local crowd by hitting threes on his first two attempts of the night.
Iowa quickly regrouped, however, and took control with a 17-0 run. Tavion Banks and Folgueiras hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to ignite the run, and Folgueiras finished it off with seven straight points to give the Hawkeyes a 19-10 lead.
Bijiek and Jacob Meachem added threes later in the half, but Iowa outscored the Bison 13-2 over the final 4:54 to take a 43-21 lead to the locker room. Iowa then held Bucknell to one bucket in the first six minutes of the second half to stretch the margin over 30.
The Hawkeyes came in ranked eighth nationally in scoring defense, and they made life difficult for the Bison after the initial hot start. Bucknell was held to 36.6 percent shooting, including a 5-for-23 mark from the 3-point arc. The Bison also committed a season-high 25 turnovers, which led to 40 Iowa points.
Iowa entered the night ranked in the top-15 nationally in field-goal percentage (.521) and 3-point accuracy (.399), and the Hawkeyes shot 60.3 percent overall in this one. They went 8-for-21 from the arc and 10-for-12 from the foul line. Iowa improved to 10-2 on the season, with its only two losses coming on the road to top-10 teams in Michigan State and Iowa State.
Banks added 16 points and nine rebounds, Kael Combs scored 13 points, and leading scorer Bennett Stirtz had eight points and six assists.
Williams and Achile Spadone both finished with six points and three assists for the Bison, who had 11 assists on 15 made field goals.
The Bison will take a holiday break before opening up Patriot League play at Holy Cross on Dec. 31.
Playing without five injured players, the Bison got out to a terrific start, leading 10-2 after Grgur Brcic's alley-oop finish off Jayden Williams' lob. Bijiek, performing in front of dozens of friends and family members, thrilled the local crowd by hitting threes on his first two attempts of the night.
Iowa quickly regrouped, however, and took control with a 17-0 run. Tavion Banks and Folgueiras hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to ignite the run, and Folgueiras finished it off with seven straight points to give the Hawkeyes a 19-10 lead.
Bijiek and Jacob Meachem added threes later in the half, but Iowa outscored the Bison 13-2 over the final 4:54 to take a 43-21 lead to the locker room. Iowa then held Bucknell to one bucket in the first six minutes of the second half to stretch the margin over 30.
The Hawkeyes came in ranked eighth nationally in scoring defense, and they made life difficult for the Bison after the initial hot start. Bucknell was held to 36.6 percent shooting, including a 5-for-23 mark from the 3-point arc. The Bison also committed a season-high 25 turnovers, which led to 40 Iowa points.
Iowa entered the night ranked in the top-15 nationally in field-goal percentage (.521) and 3-point accuracy (.399), and the Hawkeyes shot 60.3 percent overall in this one. They went 8-for-21 from the arc and 10-for-12 from the foul line. Iowa improved to 10-2 on the season, with its only two losses coming on the road to top-10 teams in Michigan State and Iowa State.
Banks added 16 points and nine rebounds, Kael Combs scored 13 points, and leading scorer Bennett Stirtz had eight points and six assists.
Williams and Achile Spadone both finished with six points and three assists for the Bison, who had 11 assists on 15 made field goals.
The Bison will take a holiday break before opening up Patriot League play at Holy Cross on Dec. 31.
Team Stats
Buck
Iowa
FG%
.366
.603
3FG%
.217
.381
FT%
.667
.833
RB
16
36
TO
25
9
STL
5
19
Game Leaders
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
6
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
6
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
5
FGM
1
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballBucknell Women's Basketball Post Game: December 20 vs Gwynedd Mercy
Saturday, December 20
In The Herd: Bison Quad Preview
Thursday, December 18
Men's And Women's Basketball Holiday Traditions
Thursday, December 18
Bucknell Men's Basketball Post Game: December 6 vs. UMBC
Saturday, December 06