IOWA CITY, Iowa — In an exciting matchup, Payton Sandfort showcased his skills by scoring 27 points and converting 12 of 13 free-throw attempts, guiding Iowa to an 85-79 comeback win against Washington on Saturday.

The game saw Washington initially taking control after halftime, seizing the first eight points of the period. Iowa responded robustly, scoring the following seven points, resulting in a narrow 42-40 advantage for the Huskies with just under 16 minutes to play. Sandfort’s timely 3-pointer etched the score at 56 with nine minutes remaining, and shortly after, he returned to the line to put Iowa ahead, marking their first lead of the afternoon at 59-56.

Mekhi Mason answered back with a 3-pointer and added two free throws moments later, again leveling the score at 66 with six minutes on the clock. Nearly four minutes later, a layup from Riley Mulvey propelled Iowa to a 74-68 lead. Ultimately, Iowa sealed their victory by shooting an impressive 9 of 10 from the line in the closing minutes; however, DJ Davis from Washington kept the suspense alive by racking up 11 points with a jumper and three 3-pointers in the final two minutes.

For Iowa (15-12, 6-10 Big Ten), Josh Dix contributed significantly with 15 points while Brock Harding added 11. The team exhibited a strong performance overall, shooting 47% from the field and finding success at the charity stripe with 23 out of 26 conversions.

On the other side, Mason led Washington (13-14, 4-12) with 19 points, while Davis followed closely with 17. Great Osobor made his mark with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Franck Kepnang provided solid support with 12 points and eight rebounds. The Huskies recorded a higher shooting percentage of 53% and nettled 16 of their 22 free-throw attempts.

Mason demonstrated his prowess early in the game by scoring two 3-pointers, part of a significant 12-3 run that established a 21-9 lead for the Huskies just 8.5 minutes in. However, Iowa fought back, closing the gap to a mere one-point difference at 34-33 by halftime.

Next up, Iowa will head to Illinois on Tuesday, while Washington prepares to take on No. 11 Wisconsin on the same day.