Owen Freeman

MOLINE, Ill. — Owen Freeman scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, finishing one-point shy of his career-high, and Iowa pulled away late to beat Washington State 76-66 on Friday night.

Payton Sandfort scored 18 points for the Hawkeyes (4-0). Iowa started 5-0 in the 2022-23 season, 7-0 the year before and 6-0 in 2020-21.

Nate Calmese scored 27 points for Washington State (3-1). LeJaun Watts had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Iowa’s Drew Thelwell wrapped a pair of 3-pointers around one from the Cougars’ Ethan Price to give the Hawkeyes a 63-62 lead and they pulled away from there. Payton Sandfort and Pryce Sandfort each made four free throws and Freeman made a pair all in the last 1:12 of play while Washington State missed its last seven shot attempts.

Washington State led 36-33 at halftime.

Both teams struggled from 3-point range with Iowa shooting 8 of 25 and Washington State 5 of 28.

It was only the second time the two teams have ever played with Iowa beating Washington State 74-66 on Dec. 30, 1963 in Pullman, Washington.

Iowa 76, Washington St. 66

WASHINGTON ST. (3-1) — Erikstrup 1-5 0-0 3, Price 3-5 1-2 8, L.Watts 5-10 0-0 11, Calmese 12-22 2-2 27, Coward 3-10 2-2 9, I.Watts 1-10 0-0 2, Okafor 0-1 4-6 4, Wynott 1-2 0-0 2, Wilson 0-1 0-0 0. TOTALS 26-66 9-12 66.

IOWA (4-0) — Dembele 2-6 0-0 5, Freeman 9-15 3-4 21, Pa.Sandfort 5-15 6-8 18, Dix 0-2 2-2 2, Harding 3-7 0-0 7, Traore 2-5 1-2 5, Thelwell 2-4 1-2 7, Pr.Sandfort 0-3 4-5 4, C.Koch 2-3 0-2 6, Brauns 0-0 1-2 1. TOTALS 25-60 18-27 76.

Halftime–Washington St. 36-33. 3-Point Goals–Washington St. 5-28 (Price 1-3, L.Watts 1-3, Erikstrup 1-4, Calmese 1-5, Coward 1-6, Wynott 0-1, I.Watts 0-6), Iowa 8-25 (C.Koch 2-3, Thelwell 2-3, Pa.Sandfort 2-10, Harding 1-1, Dembele 1-3, Freeman 0-1, Traore 0-1, Pr.Sandfort 0-3). Fouled Out–Erikstrup, Price. Rebounds–Washington St. 40 (L.Watts 10), Iowa 34 (Freeman 11). Assists–Washington St. 11 (L.Watts 4), Iowa 14 (Harding 4). Total Fouls–Washington St. 25, Iowa 13.