Inside The Hawkeyes

Iowa vs. Iowa State Takeaways: Bennett Stirtz Needs Help

The Iowa Hawkeyes couldn't hold on as they fell to Iowa State in the Cy-Hawk rivalry.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Dec 11, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz (14) sets the offense against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
Dec 11, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz (14) sets the offense against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

The Iowa Hawkeyes led No. 4 Iowa State by as many as 13 points. Sadly for Hawkeyes fans, that wasn't enough. They let a halftime lead disappear in no time as the Cyclones took over in the second half and left Ames with a 66-62 win.

Head coach Ben McCollum wasn't too pleased with the loss, nor should he be. The first year head coach got his first taste of the Cy-Hawk rivalry as Iowa State took care of business, as they have in seemingly every sport against Iowa this year.

1. Bennett Stirtz Can't Do It All

If this wasn't abundantly clear already, the Hawkeyes need someone to step up other than Stirtz. McCollum's transfer portal addition has done woners for this Iowa offense, but he shot just 3-11 from the field and was only 3-8 from three point range. Stirtz didn't sit for a single minute and he still only managed to score 10 points.

Give props to the Cyclones defense as they knew who they needed to stop. McCollum's offense revolves around the 6'4'' senior, and while he's been great at times, teams like Iowa State aren't going to let him have whatever he wants.

2. Tavion Banks Is A Star

In exactly half the minutes that Stirtz played, Banks outscored him with 14 points. The 6'7'' senior dropped 17 in the season opener and scored 16 against Chicago State, proving his worth on this team. After attempting just two shots against the No. 7 Spartans, it's great to see someone stepping up other than Stirtz.

McCollum knows he has to go with the hot hand, and that may just be the Kansas City, MO, native. Banks has attempted nine shots in his last two games as he's beginning to come out of his shell. Banks is yet another Drake transfer, but this may have been the game he needed to truly win his head coach over.

3. Turnovers, Turnovers, Turnovers

There were so many little things that went wrong for Iowa in the second half, but the Hawkeyes are never going to beat the No. 4 team in the country with 16 turnovers. The Cyclones proved themselves to be much more disiplined as they only turned it over nine times.

Iowa grabbed 10 points off those turnovers, but Iowa State finished with 18. That eight point differential is a huge swing, especially since this game was decided by just four points. Keep in mind, MSU turned the ball over more than Iowa in their December 2 meeting so this is a rarity for the Hawkeyes.

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

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