AP FILE PHOTO - Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz prepares to throw a pass upcourt during the second half of a college basketball game against Robert Morris on Tuesday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.

IOWA CITY — Bennett Stirtz scored 24 points, dished out seven assists, and played all 40 minutes as the Iowa men’s basketball team defeated Western Illinois 77-58 on Friday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Stirtz, a preseason All-American and one of 12 newcomers to join the Hawkeyes (2-0) this season, has led the team in scoring in both games this season after following new head coach Ben McCollum from Drake and Northwest Missouri.

Alvaro Folgueiras, a transfer from Robert Morris, scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting as the only other Hawkeye in double-digits, along with five rebounds and five assists. Isaia Howard added eight points and four assists.

Iowa was up by eight points at halftime, carrying a 41-33 lead into the break, but outpaced the Leathernecks (0-2) 36-25 in the second half to secure the win.

Isaiah Griffin led Western Illinois with 21 points (8-of-13 shooting) and five rebounds, and Tyran Cook added 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting.

Iowa 77, Western Illinois 58

WESTERN ILLINOIS (0-2) — Griffin 8-13 3-4 21, Massey 2-5 4-4 8, Okwuosah 3-5 1-2 8, Cook 4-8 2-2 10, Lorenzen 1-9 2-2 5, Dixon 1-4 3-4 6, Biliew 0-1 0-0 0, Pigram 0-1 0-0 0, Hittle 0-1 0-0 0, Peter 0-0 0-0 0, Kvamme 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS 19-47 15-18 58.

IOWA (2-0) — C.Koch 3-3 0-0 8, Manyawu 1-2 2-2 4, Howard 3-6 1-2 8, Stirtz 7-11 6-6 24, Banks 2-3 0-0 4, Folgueiras 5-7 2-4 13, Sage 3-8 1-2 8, Combs 2-6 2-2 7, Hausen 0-4 0-0 0, Jirak 0-0 1-2 1. TOTALS 26-50 15-20 77.

Halftime–Iowa 41-33. 3-Point Goals–Western Illinois 5-15 (Griffin 2-3, Dixon 1-2, Okwuosah 1-3, Lorenzen 1-6, Cook 0-1), Iowa 10-25 (Stirtz 4-7, C.Koch 2-2, Combs 1-1, Howard 1-2, Folgueiras 1-3, Sage 1-6, Hausen 0-4). Rebounds–Western Illinois 27 (Griffin, Okwuosah 5), Iowa 25 (Folgueiras 5). Assists–Western Illinois 4 (Cook 2), Iowa 21 (Stirtz 7). Total Fouls–Western Illinois 16, Iowa 13.