Stirtz weathers cold shooting to score 16 and help Iowa beat Clemson 67-61 in March Madness

— Bennett Stirtz scored 16 points and No. 9 seed Iowa weathered his erratic shooting to hold off eighth-seeded Clemson 67-61 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night.
Mar 21, 2026, 12:19 am - AP

Probabilities & Game Flow

100%
--IOWA
0%
--CLEM

According to ESPN Analytics

Shot Chart

Shot Chart
  • Kael Combs makes 25-foot three point step back jumpshot
  • Nick Davidson misses 15-foot jumper
  • Jestin Porter makes 26-foot three point jumper (Dillon Hunter assists)
  • Tavion Banks makes layup (Cooper Koch assists)
  • Butta Johnson misses 23-foot three point jumper
  • Bennett Stirtz misses 25-foot three point step back jumpshot
  • Dillon Hunter misses 25-foot three point jumper
  • RJ Godfrey misses 25-foot three point jumper
  • Bennett Stirtz makes 25-foot three point step back jumpshot
  • RJ Godfrey makes free throw 1 of 2
  • RJ Godfrey misses free throw 2 of 2
  • Bennett Stirtz misses 24-foot three point jumper
  • Kael Combs makes 13-foot floating jump shot
  • Nick Davidson misses 9-foot floating jump shot
  • Tavion Banks makes free throw 1 of 2
  • Tavion Banks makes free throw 2 of 2
  • RJ Godfrey makes 2-foot dunk (Ace Buckner assists)
  • Kael Combs makes 27-foot three point jumper
  • RJ Godfrey misses 5-foot hook shot
  • Alvaro Folgueiras makes 24-foot three point jumper (Bennett Stirtz assists)
  • Ace Buckner makes driving layup
  • Alvaro Folgueiras misses 7-foot hook shot
  • Butta Johnson misses 24-foot three point jumper
  • Alvaro Folgueiras misses 24-foot three point jumper
  • RJ Godfrey misses 4-foot hook shot
  • Jake Wahlin misses tip in layup
  • Ace Buckner misses 25-foot three point jumper
  • Ace Buckner misses layup
  • Butta Johnson misses layup
  • Isaia Howard misses 24-foot three point jumper
  • Butta Johnson makes driving layup
  • Tavion Banks makes 7-foot turnaround jump shot
  • Chase Thompson misses layup
  • Bennett Stirtz misses 8-foot floating jump shot
  • Jake Wahlin misses 6-foot hook shot
  • Tavion Banks misses 24-foot three point jumper
  • Ace Buckner misses 7-foot jumper
  • Bennett Stirtz makes driving layup
  • Nick Davidson makes 7-foot hook shot
  • Bennett Stirtz misses 29-foot three point step back jumpshot
  • Bennett Stirtz misses 16-foot turnaround jump shot
  • Tavion Banks misses layup
  • Jestin Porter misses 29-foot three point jumper
  • Alvaro Folgueiras misses 27-foot turnaround jump shot
  • RJ Godfrey makes 4-foot hook shot
  • Alvaro Folgueiras misses 25-foot three point jumper
  • Kael Combs makes 10-foot jumper
  • Kael Combs makes free throw 1 of 1
  • Dillon Hunter makes 7-foot turnaround jump shot
  • Bennett Stirtz misses free throw 1 of 2
  • Bennett Stirtz makes free throw 2 of 2
  • Butta Johnson makes 24-foot three point jumper (RJ Godfrey assists)
  • Cooper Koch makes 27-foot three point jumper (Bennett Stirtz assists)
  • Butta Johnson makes 26-foot three point jumper (Nick Davidson assists)
  • Butta Johnson misses 28-foot three point step back jumpshot
  • Bennett Stirtz makes free throw 1 of 2
  • Bennett Stirtz makes free throw 2 of 2
  • Tate Sage misses free throw 1 of 2
  • Tate Sage makes free throw 2 of 2
  • Dillon Hunter makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jestin Porter assists)
  • Bennett Stirtz misses 24-foot three point step back jumpshot
  • Tavion Banks misses 23-foot three point jumper
  • Bennett Stirtz makes 27-foot three point jumper
  • Dillon Hunter misses driving layup
  • RJ Godfrey misses layup
  • Tavion Banks misses layup
  • Cooper Koch misses 25-foot three point jumper
  • Jestin Porter misses 25-foot three point jumper
  • Nick Davidson misses 26-foot three point jumper
  • RJ Godfrey makes free throw 1 of 2
  • RJ Godfrey misses free throw 2 of 2
  • Bennett Stirtz misses 20-foot step back jumpshot
  • RJ Godfrey makes 4-foot dunk (Dillon Hunter assists)
  • RJ Godfrey makes free throw 1 of 1
  • Bennett Stirtz misses 9-foot floating jump shot
  • Chase Thompson makes layup (Dillon Hunter assists)
  • Kael Combs misses 23-foot three point jumper
  • Bennett Stirtz misses 26-foot three point step back jumpshot
  • Nick Davidson misses dunk
  • Ace Buckner misses 25-foot three point jumper
  • Ace Buckner misses 26-foot three point jumper
  • Tate Sage misses 24-foot three point jumper
  • Tate Sage misses dunk
  • RJ Godfrey makes layup
  • Bennett Stirtz makes 26-foot three point jumper (Cam Manyawu assists)
  • Jake Wahlin misses 25-foot three point jumper
  • Cooper Koch misses 26-foot three point jumper
  • Tate Sage makes layup
  • Ace Buckner misses 4-foot floating jump shot
  • Tate Sage makes driving layup
  • Tate Sage misses free throw 1 of 1
  • Bennett Stirtz misses 8-foot floating jump shot
  • Alvaro Folgueiras makes 0-foot tip in layup
  • Jake Wahlin misses 26-foot three point jumper
  • Nick Davidson makes free throw 1 of 2
  • Nick Davidson makes free throw 2 of 2
  • Alvaro Folgueiras makes driving layup
  • Alvaro Folgueiras makes free throw 1 of 1
  • Dillon Hunter misses 8-foot floating jump shot
  • RJ Godfrey makes layup (Butta Johnson assists)
  • Tate Sage makes layup (Alvaro Folgueiras assists)
  • Tate Sage misses free throw 1 of 1
  • Butta Johnson misses 25-foot three point pullup jump shot
  • Alvaro Folgueiras makes free throw 1 of 2
  • Alvaro Folgueiras makes free throw 2 of 2
  • Jestin Porter makes 25-foot three point jumper (RJ Godfrey assists)
  • Alvaro Folgueiras misses 25-foot three point jumper
  • Cooper Koch makes free throw 1 of 3
  • Cooper Koch makes free throw 2 of 3
  • Cooper Koch makes free throw 3 of 3
  • Nick Davidson makes driving layup
  • Dillon Hunter makes 23-foot three point jumper (Jestin Porter assists)
  • Kael Combs misses layup
  • Dallas Thomas makes 23-foot three point jumper (Butta Johnson assists)
  • Bennett Stirtz misses 24-foot three point step back jumpshot
  • Kael Combs makes free throw 1 of 2
  • Kael Combs makes free throw 2 of 2
  • Jestin Porter makes 26-foot three point step back jumpshot
  • Cam Manyawu misses free throw 1 of 2
  • Cam Manyawu misses free throw 2 of 2
  • Jestin Porter misses 25-foot three point step back jumpshot
  • Cam Manyawu misses free throw 1 of 2
  • Cam Manyawu makes free throw 2 of 2
  • Nick Davidson misses free throw 1 of 1
  • Cooper Koch makes free throw 1 of 2
  • Cooper Koch makes free throw 2 of 2
  • RJ Godfrey makes driving layup
  • Bennett Stirtz misses 27-foot three point step back jumpshot
  • Alvaro Folgueiras makes free throw 1 of 2
  • Alvaro Folgueiras makes free throw 2 of 2
  • Nick Davidson misses 28-foot three point jumper
  • Nick Davidson makes free throw 1 of 2
  • Nick Davidson makes free throw 2 of 2
  • Bennett Stirtz misses 12-foot floating jump shot
  • Ace Buckner makes driving layup (RJ Godfrey assists)
  • Kael Combs makes driving layup
  • Dallas Thomas misses 24-foot three point step back jumpshot
  • Alvaro Folgueiras makes free throw 1 of 2
  • Alvaro Folgueiras makes free throw 2 of 2
  • Butta Johnson makes 25-foot three point jumper
  • Bennett Stirtz makes free throw 1 of 2
  • Bennett Stirtz makes free throw 2 of 2
  • Ace Buckner makes free throw 1 of 2
  • Ace Buckner misses free throw 2 of 2
Shot Made
Shot Missed
Shot Made
Shot Missed
OpenSpreadTotalML
Iowa HawkeyesIOWAIOWA
(22-12)
(22-12, 3-8 Away)
-1.5
-110
-1.5
-110
o130.5
-115
-125
Clemson TigersCLEMCLEM
(24-11)
(24-11, 13-3 Home)
u130.5
-110
+1.5
-110
u130.5
-105
+105
Data is currently unavailable.