GAME NOTES: Still searching for their first Big Ten Conference victory of the season, the Minnesota Golden Gophers prepare for the arrival of the Iowa Hawkeyes on Tuesday night.

Every team in the Big Ten has an overall record that is at least three games over .500, but there are only two programs entering the week that have yet to get over the hump in a single league bout, one being Minnesota and the other Penn State. The Golden Gophers had some very easy targets on their non- conference schedule, winning the last of those against UNC-Wilmington, 108-82, a few days after Christmas at Williams Arena.

Unfortunately, the Gophers have come up short in league play thus far, losing all four encounters. On Saturday, the team was taken out by Michigan in Ann Arbor by a score of 62-57.

Meanwhile the Hawkeyes, who are playing just their third true road game of 2014-15, have also had a very successful non-conference showing. But unlike the Gophers, Iowa already has a pair of Big Ten victories over Ohio State and Nebraska. However, last week the program saw a three-game win streak come to an end with a 75-61 home loss versus Michigan State.

Minnesota leads the all-time series by a 97-85 margin. However, the teams have split the last four meetings, with the Golden Gophers capturing a 95-89 victory in the most recent encounter on Feb. 25, 2014 in Minneapolis.

The Hawkeyes appeared to be well on their way to yet another league victory the last time out, leading Michigan State by 11 at the break, but then the roles reversed and Iowa wound up in the loss column. The hosts made a total of only nine field goals in the second half while the Spartans were a sizzling 66.7 percent from the floor and 8-of-9 behind the 3-point line in the final 20 minutes of action.

Gabriel Olaseni came off the bench to supply a team-best 18 points, followed by Jarrod Uthoff with a double-double consisting of 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Mike Gesell tacked on 10 points and three assists in the losing cause. Iowa finished the outing only 2-of-12 beyond the arc and 15-of-24 at the free- throw line.

Aaron White, who finished with just eight points in the last outing, continues to pace the Iowa offense with his 15.9 ppg based on 51.8 percent shooting from the floor and 84.6 percent accuracy at the free-throw line and not so much his mere 26.9 percent effort on the perimeter. Uthoff is second in scoring (11.4 ppg), rebounding (6.9 rpg) and blocked shots (24) for a program that is limiting foes to just 60.2 ppg based on 38.5 percent shooting from the field and 31.3 percent beyond the arc.

Converting a total of just eight field goals in the first half against Michigan, the Gophers actually held a slim two-point advantage at the break before hitting the skids in the second half. Over the final 20 minutes, Minnesota converted just 3-of-11 shots from beyond the arc and 5-of-10 at the free-throw line, which meant a potential win was always in sight. Andre Hollins continued to fight for the Gophers with a game-high 18 points, even as he connected on just 4-of-14 from the floor, while Carlos Morris posted 16 points and Maurice Walker 10 rebounds in the loss.

Minnesota, which is scoring 78.5 ppg, has done well to spread the wealth as there is not a single player averaging even 13 ppg at this stage. Morris is on top of the scoring list with 12.9 ppg, but Hollins is hot on his heels with another 12.8 ppg thanks to 40.6 percent accuracy out on the perimeter. Also in the hunt is Walker who accounts not only for 12.4 ppg but also a team-best 6.4 rpg and 27 blocked shots. DeAndre Mathieu (9.3 ppg) is in charge of getting his teammates involved, having issued 94 assists.

Some teams get by leaning on one of two star players, but so far the Golden Gophers have shown how a balanced attack can also lead to success, something that should take place again on Tuesday night.