Freshman Melsahn Basabe scored 14 points and Iowa beat Northern Iowa 51-39 Tuesday night to move past .500 for the first time this season.
Jarryd Cole added 10 points and 15 rebounds for the Hawkeyes, who improved to 22-1 against the Panthers in Iowa City and won back-to-back games for the first times this season.
Iowa (5-4) turned a one-point halftime deficit into a 37-28 lead early in the second half. The Hawkeyes held Northern Iowa (4-3) to just two points in a six-minute stretch late in the second half, and Matt Gatens' 3 with 2:53 left gave Iowa a 46-36 lead.
Jake Koch and Kwadzo Ahelegbe each scored 11 points for Northern Iowa, which was held below 50 points for the second time in seven games.
The Panthers shot just 17.9 percent in the second half and finished the game 6 of 30 from 3-point range.
