Takeaways from Iowa basketball win vs. UMass-Lowell

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Following the holiday break, No. 23 Iowa basketball (11-2, 1-1 Big Ten) jumped back into action by steamrolling UMass-Lowell (5-10), 90-62, from Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Monday afternoon to close nonconference play. Monday represented one final opportunity for the Hawkeyes to gear up for their grueling Big Ten slate, which resumes on Saturday.

With the River Hawks serving as the Hawkeyes' final nonconference matchup before the resumption of Big Ten play on Saturday, what were the biggest takeaways from Iowa's blowout victory?

Iowa basketball dominates points in the paint, wins turnovers category

While UMass-Lowell is clearly overmatched against Iowa, the Hawkeyes' defense had its way against the River Hawks, forcing 16 turnovers, including 10 steals and five blocks. The Hawkeyes committed just seven turnovers themselves.

Iowa dominated points in the paint, too, outscoring UMass Lowell inside, 54-36.

All-around offensive production

Iowa did a fantastic job of getting scoring from a handful of players outside of Bennett Stirtz, which will be key entering conference play, as the senior guard will draw a bulk of the defensive focus from opponents.

Behind Stirtz's 22 points, the Hawkeyes got 14 from both Alvaro Folgueiras and Cam Manyawu, 12 from Tavion Banks, and nine from Trevin Jirak off the bench.

As a whole, the Hawkeyes knocked down 32-of-55 shots to finish with a 58% field goal percentage figure.

Cam Manyawu show

Cam Manyawu had himself a sensational performance against UMass Lowell, scoring 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the floor and 2-for-2 from the foul line, complementing his nine rebounds, three blocks, and two assists in 21 minutes of action.

While the 6-foot-9, 250-pounder from Kansas City, Mo., was just one rebound away from the first double-double of his Hawkeyes career, Monday's performance now gives him double-digit scoring efforts in four of Iowa's past five games.

If Iowa can get this kind of production from Manyawu as Big Ten play resumes, the Hawkeyes will be more diverse offensively and force opposing defenses to spend more time and energy guarding him.

Iowa returns to action in the New Year on Saturday, Jan. 3, when it welcomes UCLA (10-3, 2-0 Big Ten) to Carver-Hawkeye Arena. That matchup against the Trojans will begin at 6 p.m. CT and broadcast exclusively on Peacock.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Takeaways from Iowa basketball win vs. UMass-Lowell

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