Iowa Wolves Handed First Loss of Tip-Off Tournament by Grand Rapids Gold on Thursday Night 113-121

The Iowa Wolves were defeated by the Grand Rapids Gold 113-121 on Thursday night from Van Andel Arena. This marked the first game the Wolves (2-1) were not victorious, while the Gold (3-0) remained undefeated in Tip-Off Tournament play.

Tristen Newton and Rocco Zikarsky scored 24 points a piece for the Wolves, while Jules Bernard contributed another 23 points on the night. Bernard also added 10 assists, marking his first double-double of the 2025-26 season.

Alize Johnson, in his first season with the Wolves, also tallied a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Johnson has started all three games for Iowa alongside Newton and Bernard.

Minnesota two-way center Zikarsky started his first game for Iowa, shooting over 55% from the field on the night. The contest in Grand Rapids was back-and-forth for the majority of the first three frames, but the Gold pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Wolves 29-22.

Tamar Bates led all players in scoring with 33 points and 8 rebounds, pacing Grand Rapids with 17 points in the fourth quarter alone. Moses Brown tallied a double-double for the Gold with 10 points and 10 rebounds for Grand Rapids.

The Wolves return to Casey’s Center for a back-to-back set against the Noblesville Boom on Sunday, November 16 for a 3:00 p.m. tip-off and Monday, November 17 for a 6:30 p.m. tip-off.