College basketball: No. 1 Gonzaga turns back No. 3 Iowa

Jalen Suggs scored 18 of his career-high 27 points in the first half and No. 1 Gonzaga held off a late rally to beat No. 3 Iowa 99-88 on Saturday in Sioux Falls, S.D.

This was the Bulldogs first game since pausing activities in early December because of the coronavirus. Gonzaga showed little rust from not playing a game since Dec. 2.

Suggs entered the game against Iowa averaging 13.3 points per game. He blew by that midway through the first half and finished 8 for 17 from the floor and was 7 for 10 from the 3-point line. His previous career high was 24 against Kansas on Nov. 26.

Drew Timme added 15 points and Joel Ayai added 11 points and grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds for Gonzaga (4-0).

Luka Garza led Iowa (6-1) with 30 points and 10 rebounds on 13 of 18 shooting. Joe Wieskamp added 20 points and nine rebounds for the Hawkeyes.

Gonzaga used a 24-10 run to open things up in the first half. Suggs scored 10 points during the run as Iowa went cold from the field. The Hawkeyes went nearly five minutes without a field goal as Gonzaga continued to pull away.

The Bulldogs got the lead to as many as 20 in the second half on an Aaron Cook’s basket to make it 71-51 with just over 13 minutes to play. Iowa pulled to within nine with under two minutes left, but could get no closer.

at No. 12 Wisconsin 85, No 23 Louisville 48

Micah Potter scored 20 points and Aleem Ford added 12 to lead the Badgers to an 85-48 nonconference victory over short-handed No. 23 Louisville in a rescheduled ACC/Big Ten Challenge game.

WOMEN

at No. 3 UConn, 106, Xavier 59

Christyn Williams scored 24 points to lead six UConn players in double figures as the Huskies ran away from the Musketeers. Olivia Nelson-Ododa added 16 points and 11 rebounds for UConn (4-0, 3-0 Big East), which was playing for the fourth time in eight days. Freshman Paige Bueckers finished with 19 points and nine assists.