IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Melissa Dixon scored 20 points with six 3-pointers, and Ally Disterhoft added 14 points with 10 rebounds as No. 18 Iowa defeated Pepperdine 97-68 in the Hawkeye Challenge Friday night. Iowa (3-0) shot 53 percent — including nearly 58 percent from 3-point range — to steadily pull away from cold-shooting Pepperdine (39.4 percent). Disterhoft’s double-double was her fourth at Iowa.

The Waves (1-2) hung with the Hawkeyes for much of the first half — tied twice and holding a one-point lead — until Iowa ended the with a 10-3 run into halftime. Pepperdine, behind 16 points from Allie Green and 14 from Ea Shoushtari, couldn’t close the gap after halftime. Shoushtari, a senior, came into the game with 600 career points.

Dixon hit six of 11 3-pointers rising to fourth all-time in 3-pointers at Iowa (225). Iowa plays Dayton (2-2), Pepperdine meets Tennessee-Martin (1-4) in the tournament finale Saturday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Chiefs have signed veteran Jason Avant to help a beleaguered and injury-prone group of wide receivers. The move reunites Avant with Andy Reid, his longtime coach in Philadelphia. Kansas City cleared roster space by placing wide receiver A.J. Jenkins on injured reserve on Friday.

Avant was drafted by Reid’s Eagles and spent his first eight seasons there before signing with Carolina in the offseason. He was the Panthers’ third receiver and caught 21 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown before getting released this week.

Avant had criticized the Panthers for their offensive approach in last week’s loss to the Falcons, but coach Ron Rivera insisted that was not the reason for his release. Rivera said the Panthers were simply trying to get younger at wide receiver.

NEW YORK (AP) — Chris McCullough had 20 points, nine rebounds and a key steal with 8.4 seconds left, and No. 23 Syracuse held off Iowa 66-63 on Friday night in the 2K Classic consolation game. Rakeem Christmas bounced back from his foul-plagued performance Thursday with 18 points for the Orange (3-1), who led by 15 in the second half but needed some key plays from McCullough, a freshman from the Bronx who had 13 after halftime.

Jarrod Uthoff scored 20 points and Aaron White added 15 points and 12 rebounds for Iowa (2-2). Christmas, Syracuse’s leading scorer, was limited to eight points before fouling out in the Orange’s 73-59 loss to California on Thursday.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Josh Mackey scored on two short runs and North Fayette Valley controlled the ball with its ground game in beating Sioux Center 14-10 to win the Class 2A state championship. Mackey’s 2-yard plunge with 6:03 left Friday gave the Tigerhawks (13-1) their first lead, and he helped his team maintain it with a late play on defense.

Dropping back from his linebacker position, Mackey broke up a Sioux Center pass just outside the end zone. Teammate Phil Kleve then knocked down a final pass by the Warriors (12-2) at the goal line with just over a minute remaining.

Mackey was a workhorse all afternoon, carrying the ball 39 times for 140 yards in helping North Fayette Valley build a 12-minute edge in time of possession.