Iowa looks to extend home win streak against Northwestern

Hawkeyes aim for sixth straight victory as Wildcats seek to rebound from blowout loss

Feb. 7, 2026 at 7:31pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Iowa is riding a five-game winning streak and looking to extend its home dominance over Northwestern when the teams meet on Sunday. The Hawkeyes have combined efficient shooting and ball security to fuel their recent success, while the struggling Wildcats are hoping to get more production from leading scorer Nick Martinelli and their young supporting cast.

Why it matters

This Big Ten matchup features a surging Iowa squad aiming to solidify its position in the conference standings, while Northwestern is trying to bounce back from a lopsided defeat and find more consistency on offense.

The details

Iowa has relied on its balanced scoring attack, led by Bennett Stirtz, Tavion Banks and Alvaro Folgueiras, to power its five-game winning streak. The Hawkeyes have shot 59.3% from the field and committed just nine turnovers over their last two games. Northwestern, on the other hand, is coming off an 84-44 loss to Illinois in which it shot just 29.2% from the field and 4-for-25 from 3-point range. Wildcats coach Chris Collins is calling on his young players, including freshmen Tyler Kropp, Tre Singleton and Jake West, to be more resilient and help take some of the pressure off Martinelli, the Big Ten's leading scorer.

  • Iowa has won 10 straight home games against Northwestern.
  • The Wildcats are concluding a two-game road trip after their blowout loss to Illinois on Wednesday.

The players

Bennett Stirtz

Iowa's leading scorer, averaging 19.2 points per game.

Nick Martinelli

Northwestern's leading scorer in the Big Ten, but has been limited in recent games.

Chris Collins

Northwestern's head coach, who is calling on his young players to step up and support Martinelli.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We've got unselfish kids. We've been working on it constantly. Just our drive to the basket reads and coming to stops and attacking when we don't have a ball screen -- those kind of things.”

— Ben McCollum, Iowa head coach

“We're just taking what the defense gives us. Sometimes, they take away (Folgueiras). Sometimes, they take away the pocket. Sometimes, they take away me or the shooter. So it's different every game because we see a lot of different coverages. But it's the coaches' job to put us in the right positions and just us adapting.”

— Bennett Stirtz

“Right now, we're struggling. We're playing a lot of young kids that aren't really ready for this level right now. Sometimes, you've got to take some lumps and go through it to figure things out.”

— Chris Collins, Northwestern head coach

What’s next

The winner of this game will take a step forward in the Big Ten standings, while the loser will need to regroup and try to bounce back in their next conference matchup.

The takeaway

This game showcases the contrasting fortunes of the two teams, with Iowa riding high on its efficient offense and stifling defense, while Northwestern is searching for answers to get its young roster up to speed and support its leading scorer. The outcome could have significant implications for both teams' postseason aspirations.