IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Bennett Stirtz scored 27 points and No. 25 Iowa held off a second-half comeback attempt by UCLA for a 74-61 win on Saturday. The Hawkeyes (12-2, 2-1 Big Ten) led by as many as 24 points in the first half and 20 points early in the second half before the Bruins (10-4, 2-1) stormed back.

No. 12 Vanderbilt lost to Iowa 34-27 on Dec. 31 in the ReliaQuest Bowl despite a 347-yard passing game from Diego Pavia.

Iowa football improves to 9-4 on the season after holding off Diego Pavia-led Vanderbilt for a thrilling 34-27 win in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31.

Dent scored 25 points on 12-for-19 shooting, 20 of which came after halftime, to pull the Bruins back to within four. Battling foul trouble, Iowa senior guard Bennett Stirtz was able to outduel Dent, scoring a game-high 27 points.

Vanderbilt showed up in Tampa with something to prove. Instead, Iowa showed how close it was to being a CFP team.

Expert recap and game analysis of the Northern Iowa Panthers vs. Evansville Purple Aces NCAAM game from January 4, 2026 on ESPN.