Associated Press, December 10, 2017

(AP) Freshman Luka Garza had 23 points and 13 rebounds to help Iowa snap a four-game skid with a 91-60 win over Southern on Sunday.

Connor McCaffery made the first appearance of his career Sunday afternoon for the Hawkeyes (5-6) after missing the first 10 games with a sprained ankle followed by illness. The freshman played 17 minutes and had five points, four assists, and three rebounds in his debut.

Aaron Ray had 12 points to lead Southern (2-8).

Iowa's offense started off slow and Southern led by 6 points with 8:28 left in the first half. From there on, it was all Iowa. The Hawkeyes went on a 24-8 run to end the first half and outscored the Jaguars 50-29 in the second.

THE TAKEAWAY

Iowa: The Hawkeyes desperately needed a win after dropping four in a row, including two Big Ten matchups. Iowa should gain some momentum to close out its non-conference schedule over the next few weeks.

Southern: Allowing 91 points from Iowa is not great for the Jaguar defense, considering they held No. 1 Duke to just 79 points less than a month ago. Southern's 22 fouls did not help the case. If the team wants to stand a chance as it heads toward the conference season, the defense will need to improve.

UP NEXT

The Hawkeyes head to Des Moines to take on Drake in the Hy-Vee Big Four Classic at Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday.

Southern will host Florida A&M on Thursday.