Iowa's Defense Delivers Season's Best Performance in Latest Win

With 10 minutes left in the game, the Iowa Hawkeyes were on the brink of history. Obviously, once head coach Ben McCollum pulled his starters, things got out of hand. Ultimately, they still dominated Western Michigan, 91-51.

Iowa allowed just .761 points per possession, its lowest of the season. By no means are the Broncos an elite team, but this type of defensive performance helps the Hawkeyes' case to be ranked.

The Hawkeyes led 52-16 at the half, a score that doesn't even seem real. They were on pace to score 104, but instead settled for 91 as they allowed just 51 points, which is the second fewest they've given up this season.

Iowa's Defense Was On Full Display

Western Michigan is scoring .553 points per possession with 10 minutes left in the second half.

This would be Iowa's second-best defensive performance in terms of points per possession allowed since an 82-39 win over UNC-Wilmington (.541 PPP) on Nov. 8, 2013.
— Sean Bock (@SBock247) December 14, 2025

With tons of attention on the Hawkeyes' offense, it's worth shouting out the defense as well. McCollum had a game plan that the team executed to perfection as they allowed well under one point per possession.

At one point, that number was down to .553. Had it stood, it would've been Iowa's second-best defensive performance since Nov. 8, 2013, according to Sean Brock. Even though they ended up allowing a total that was quite a bit higher, it was still a defensive performance that won't be forgotten about anytime soon.

Prior to this game, Iowa had allowed under 60 points on three occasions. It's important to note they did so against Western Illinois, Chicago State, and Grand Canyon. Adding WMU in the mix, those are four teams that have no business competing with a B1G opponent.

Western Michigan guard Sharod Barnes (0), Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras (7) and Western Michigan forward Michael Sulaka (24) contest for the basketball Dec. 14, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa's Defense: By The Numbers

Be Back Soon. 😀 pic.twitter.com/F6VtWSZKgK
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) December 14, 2025

While two of the Broncos' starters finished in double digits, two starters were held scoreless. Those two combined for a 0-8 performance that neither will want to think about tomorrow. The Broncos emptied their bench, which may be an understatement. In total, they played 13 players, six of which failed to score a point.

Western Michigan shot just 30% from the field and was even worse from 3-point range at 25%. They were only out-rebounded by two, but the Broncos turned the ball over 13 times. In total, 11 of Iowa's 91 points came off turnovers.

At the end of the day, this is exactly what Iowa should've done to WMU. It's great to see this beating become a reality, as it shows that McCollum's vision is working and the team truly is beginning to put everything together. The Iowa State loss was in the rear view mirror as they look to start a new winning streak.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!