Iowa City witnessed an extraordinary display of basketball prowess as Iowa's team, without one of its regular starters, showcased their dominance. On Tuesday, they achieved an 83 - 58 victory over Rider, leaving no room for the opponent to keep up.

Iowa's Defensive Stamina in Full Swing

Defense: A Consistent Storyline

Through five games this season, Iowa's defense has been a force to be reckoned with. They have held each opponent under 49% from the field and 33% from deep. Against Rider, they continued this trend, containing the Broncs to 43% from the field and a mere 6% from deep. The Hawkeyes' defensive effort was on full display, with Rider committing 20 turnovers. Sophomore Seydou Traore emphasized the team's focus on maintaining the same intensity as the Washington State game. "The main focus today was trying to keep the same intensity we had that Washington State game, bring it onto this game and just make that our identity," he said. "Just tough, defensive team."This early in the season, Iowa's defensive prowess gives fans hope for the rest of the campaign. It shows their ability to adapt and perform at a high level regardless of the opponent.

Offense: Scoring with Ease

Iowa scored more than 80 points for the fourth time in five games against Rider. They shot 47% from the field and 36% from deep, demonstrating their offensive firepower. Payton Sandfort has been a consistent scorer, scoring in double figures in each game this season. Against Rider, he scored 22 points on 9 - of - 16 from the field, adding six rebounds and three assists. Owen Freeman also had a strong performance, notching his first double - double of the season against Washington State and finishing with 19 points and five rebounds after missing the South Dakota game due to illness.The off - season transfer - portal additions Drew Thelwell and Traore have been making significant contributions off the bench. Thelwell had just two points but dished out seven assists and recorded five steals. His attitude and positivity are infectious, earning the respect of his teammates and fans. Traore notched 12 points, five rebounds and one steal, changing what Iowa is capable of defensively, especially in the press. "They're really athletic but they've got great instincts," coach Fran McCaffery said. "Obviously, Seydou has incredible length. But he's got a knack for getting deflections. Same with Drew — and Drew will strip you. They can cover a lot of ground. The activity level was really good across the board from everybody with that. Pryce (Sandfort) has gotten really good at it, too."

Handling Absences

Tuesday was the second time this season Iowa has been without a member of its regular starting lineup. Pryce Sandfort scored eight points in his first career start last week when Freeman was out due to illness. On Tuesday, Josh Dix was not available. Dix, a junior, started the first four games of the season, averaging 12.3 points and four assists per contest while shooting 44.4% from deep. He injured his wrist during Iowa's win over Washington State on Friday in Moline, Ill. He tried playing through it but was largely ineffective and finished the game with just two points.However, just like they did without Freeman against South Dakota, the Hawkeyes handled business without Dix against Rider. Pryce Sandfort made his second career start, scoring 11 points and grabbing five rebounds. Brock Harding chipped in six points and five assists. Ladji Dembele added four points and four rebounds.As for Dix's status against Utah State on Friday in Kansas City, McCaffery said: "Day - to - day. Hopefully, he'll play Friday. I can't say for sure. It'll be up to him." Freshman Chris Tadjo continued to be out due to injury, but McCaffery said Tuesday, "I think he's pretty close."Iowa passed its first notable test this season by beating Washington State last week but will get another on Friday when it plays Utah State in Kansas City, Missouri. The Aggies will enter that matchup with a 4 - 0 overall record and haven't scored less than 95 points in a game this season. Fans will be eager to see how Iowa performs in this next challenge.