Alford credits crowd in helping with comeback

The 17th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes return to action Wednesday night at home against Minnesota. Iowa coach Steve Alford says the crowd was a major factor in the comeback win against Indiana. Alford says the fans kept the Hawks from trailing even more than 17 at the half.At 5-2 in the Big Ten and 16-4 overall, Alford is pleased with where the Hawks are heading into the stretch run of the regular season. He says his players have done everything the coaches have wanted to this point.Alford says the key will be continued improvement in the final month. He says it won’t be easy and they enter a tough nine-game stretch.