Wolves Outlast Skyforce, 122-115

DES MOINES, Iowa – Lance Stephenson scored a season-high 27 points for the Iowa Wolves who outlasted the Sioux Falls Skyforce, 122-115, on Tuesday morning at Wells Fargo Arena in front of 9,134 fans. 

Iowa (4-13) held off a resilient Sioux Falls (12-4) team that erased a 23-point deficit by tying the game late in the fourth quarter. Justin Champagnie who paced the Skyforce with 33 points evened the game at 102 with a jumper at the 6:13 mark.

Giorgi Bezhanishvili, who poured in a season-high 20 points for the Wolves and added 10 rebounds, countered with a bucket as part of a 6-0 burst. Newly signed Amauri Hardy, who joined Iowa on Monday, added a basket in the run and finished with 17 points off the bench in his debut.

Sioux Falls continued to pressure Iowa making it a one possession game several times, including being down three points with 38 seconds left. Stephenson made an impressive tip-in that put Iowa back up five. The Wolves iced the game going 6-of-6 from the free throw line as they split the series with the Skyforce.

Tyrese Martin scored 21 points for Iowa while Javonte Cooke added 18. Five others for Sioux Falls joined Champagnie in double figures.

Tuesday morning was Iowa’s annual Education Day Game presented by IMT as thousands of students from across the state packed the stands for basketball, education and fun.

Iowa travels to the west coast for a three-road trip before the G League All-Star break. The trip starts with a back-to-back at the Santa Cruz Warriors on Friday and Saturday. Both games start at 9 p.m. CT. The Wolves will then play at the Rip City Remix on Feb. 13 at 9 p.m. in the team’s final game before the break. 

Iowa returns from the break on Friday, Feb. 23 when it hosts the Rio Grande Valley Vipers for Timberwolves Day. Tipoff at Wells Fargo Arena is set for 7 p.m. CT. The first 1,000 fans will receive a Naz Reid Iowa/Minnesota co-branded t-shirt.