When you think of triple-doubles and Iowa State basketball, you probably think of Caitlin Clark. No wonder, since she scored 17 points in one of her greatest careers in college basketball history. But Peyton Sandfort accomplished her feat Tuesday night, becoming the first player in the Hawkeyes men's basketball program to accomplish it. He had 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 90-81 home victory over Penn State, keeping their hopes of making it to the NCAA Tournament alive. Sandfort and Iowa will look to continue their strong run Saturday in a Big Ten road game against Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois. “It's crazy that no one has accomplished this with Hawkeye,” Sandfort said. “Well, I see Caitlin do that every day.'' Sandfort officially broke the record by repelling Ace Baldwin's missed foul shot with 21 seconds left. Most of his attacks came from the foul line, making 18 of 19 attempts. Until Tuesday night, he had never had more than seven attempts in a game. Sandfort paced the Hawkeyes (17-12, 9-9) with 15.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. A win on Saturday and one win in the regular-season finale against No. 13 Illinois on March 10 could be enough to get them over the hump. Meanwhile, Northwestern (20-8, 11-6) has won five of its past six games, including Wednesday night's 68-61 decision at Maryland, and has secured an at-large bid. It is in a good position for. The Wildcats got a career-high 27 points from Nick Martinelli, who averaged 8.5 points, and secured their third Big Ten championship in 56 seasons. “It's a big win for us,” Northwestern coach Chris Collins said. “It's a testament to the guys sitting in this locker room and their competitive spirit.'' The Wildcats played without Ryan Langborg, who averages 24.1 points per game, and Ty Berry. Berry is out for the season with a knee injury, and Langborg's (ankle) status is unknown Saturday. Northwestern guard Bou Bouie, who leads the team in scoring at 18.6 points, has played in 144 career games and will set a school record on Saturday. –Field level media
