Iowa Falls in First Game against Austin, 123-119

DES MOINES, Iowa – The Iowa Wolves fell to the Austin Spurs, 123-119, on Friday night at Wells Fargo Arena in the second to last regular season game for each team.

Friday night Iowa (7-26) and Austin (19-14) played a tightly contested game with neither team leading by more than 13 and the contest featured eight lead changes and two ties. 

For the Wolves, Tyrese Martin posted a double-double with 25 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. Martin added five assists. Two-way Daishen Nix scored a team-high 29 and handed out nine assists. 

Two-ways David Duke Jr. led the Spurs with a game-high 34 points and Jamaree Bouyea added 22 points. Duke Jr. filled the stat sheet with 11 rebounds and seven assists while Bouyea added nine rebounds and nine assists. 

Duke Jr. put Austin up 94-81 late in the third quarter for its largest lead of the night. Amauri Hardy though banked in a buzzer-beater for Iowa that cut the deficit to 10 going into the fourth. Austin kept answering Iowa’s runs in the fourth leading by 10 twice. Trevor Keels put Iowa within striking distance of three points with 1:41 remaining with a tip in. However, Bouyea nailed a three on the next possession to keep Iowa within two possessions. 

Iowa wasn’t done as Nix buried a three with just 15.4 seconds left on the clock to pull within two. But Austin made their free throws down the stretch to hold off Iowa for the win.

The teams finish the regular season tomorrow night at 7 p.m. CT.