IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — After a pair of tough road losses, Iowa needed senior Matt Gatens to provide leadership, stability and, above all else, a strong game against rival Drake. Gatens was brilliant on both ends of the floor on Saturday night. Gatens led five Hawkeyes in double figures with 20 points and shut down Drake star Ben Simons as Iowa knocked off the Bulldogs 82-68 to snap a two-game losing streak. Bryce Cartwright added 12 points for the Hawkeyes (6-5), who also avoided their first sweep at the hands of their instate rivals Drake, Iowa State and Northern Iowa. Melsahn Basabe, Aaron White and Marble each scored 10 points for Iowa.

Rayvonte Rice led Drake (6-4) with 23 points, 19 of those coming in the second half.  Iowa capitalized on Drake’s poor shooting – just 11 for 30 in the first half – into open looks at the other end. The Hawkeyes shot 57.6 percent in the first 20 minutes and got 26 of their 44 points inside the paint. The Hawkeyes had been humbled on the road in their last two games, decisive losses at Northern Iowa and Iowa State. The Panthers beat Iowa by 20, and the Cyclones led by as many as 24 points before cruising to an 86-76 win. But the Bulldogs have never had much success at Iowa, and Saturday night wasn’t any different. Jordan Clarke had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Drake, which committed 19 turnovers and lost for the 29th time in 32 trips to Iowa City.