Iowa won their 19th straight basketball game at home Monday, downing the Citadel 75-53 in their season opener. Senior Adam Haluska led the Hawks, matching his a career high of 29 points. Coach Steve Alford says they’ve been focusing on getting better.

Alford says if they keep improving, they’ll have a chance to be a good basketball team. He says in both games they held the other team under 60 and Alford says they moved the ball as well as he’s had a team move the ball, and that led to a lot of wide open looks. Alford says the ball movement was encouraging as the Citadel played zone defense.

Alford says sometimes a zone defense will make you stand around and he’s been impressed by the way the team has kept the ball moving and made it difficult for the Citadel. Freshman Tyler Smith fouled out of the game early, and Alford says Smith looked nervous.

Alford says Smith got a few fouls and then seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He says it was a good learning experience for the freshman. Iowa plays Toledo Friday in a tournament in the Virgin Islands.