Samantha DeFily

Published Work

The Daily Iowan •

Photos: Iowa Football Practice

Iowa football allowed media to attend 30 minutes of their practice at the Ronald D. and Margaret L. Kenyon Football Practice Facility on Thursday morning. Open practice for fans is set for April 25 in Kinnick Stadium as the team concludes their spring drills. Gates open at 9:45am, with practice starting at 10:45am, and is free for everyone.
The Hawkeyes begin their season at home against Northern Illinois on September 5, with the time yet to be announced.

Iowa football allowed media to attend 3...
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Photos: No. 9 seed Iowa falls to No. 3 seed Illinois in the Elite 8

The No. 9 seed Iowa Hawkeyes fell to the No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini, 71-59, during an Elite 8 matchup in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the Toyota Center on Saturday evening.
A historic run for the men’s basketball team ends in Houston as the Hawkeyes’ journey stops just short of the Final Four. In the locker room, guard Tate Sage was red-eyed while talking with reporters. “You guys are talking about the upcoming years, I’m more so stuck on this one,” said Sage.
At the beginnin...
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Photos: Iowa and Illinois men’s basketball Media Availability Ahead of Elite 8 Matchup

The No. 9 seed Iowa Hawkeyes and the No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini held media availability at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on Friday.
Illinois and Iowa have been meeting up since 1908, and Illinois head coach Brad Underwood believes that it’s the games where there’s a lot of history that make basketball great. “They’re both great for our programs… for the Big Ten. And it’s not often you get two conference opponents playing in an Elite Eight to go to a Final Four… that speaks volumes...
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Photos: No. 9 seed Iowa defeats No. 4 seed Nebraska in the Sweet 16

The No. 9 seed Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the No. 4 seed Nebraska Cornhuskers during a Sweet 16 matchup in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on Thursday evening.Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz led the team with 20 points, guard Tate Sage following just behind with 19 points. When the Hawkeyes were down by 10 points, head coach Ben McCollum wasn’t very happy with his players, telling them they were soft, according to Stirtz. “He slammed his white board and broke hi...
The Daily Iowan •

Photos: Iowa and Nebraska men’s basketball Media Availability Ahead of Sweet 16 Matchup

The No. 9 seed Iowa Hawkeyes and the No. 4 seed Nebraska Cornhuskers held media availability at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on Wednesday.
This will be the third matchup between the two teams in this season, and with the record being 1-1, there’s a lot to prove. When asked about how the team was going to scout the Cornhuskers’ gameplay, Iowa guard Tate Sage explained that they were going to research as much as they did the other games. “They’re going to do things differently, and we don’t...
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Photos: No. 9 seed Iowa men’s basketball upsets No. 1 seed Florida

The No. 9 seed Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the No. 1 seed Florida Gators, 73-72, during the Round of 32 in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida on Sunday evening. With this upset against the defending champions, the Hawkeyes move on to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1999, and that team had J.R. Koch on it. Iowa guard Cooper Koch added 12 points to the teams win, aiding their path to Houston, and all while his father watched from the c...
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Photos: No. 9 seed Iowa and No. 1 seed Florida holds Media Availability

The Iowa Hawkeyes and Florida Gators held media availability in the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida on Saturday.
Locker rooms were open and press conferences were held with both teams players, as well as the coaches. When asked about how he’d like the tempo of the game to go for the Hawkeyes, head coach Ben McCollum said that the speed of the game was irrelevant. “Whatever puts the ball in the basket more than they do,” said McCollum.
Florida head coach Todd Golden explained that...
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Photos: No. 9 seed Iowa men’s basketball defeats No. 8 seed Clemson

The No. 9 seed Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the No. 8 seed Clemson Tigers, 67-61, during the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida on Friday.

This is Iowa’s first March Madness win in five years, with the two defensive-driven teams battling it out the entire 40 minutes. Guard Bennett Stirtz led the team with 16 points, and forwards Kael Combs and Alvaro Folguerias followed with 15 and 14 points respectively.
For the first since 2019...
The Daily Iowan •

Photos: Iowa men’s basketball Open Practice Ahead of NCAA Tournament

The No. 9 seed Iowa Hawkeyes and the No. 8 seed Clemson Tigers hold open practice and media availability at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida on Thursday.
This is Iowa head coach Ben McCollum’s second March Madness appearance, with his first being last year with the Bulldogs. Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz had been on that Drake team, alongside Cam Manyawu, Isaia Howard, Tavion Banks, and Kael Comb. When asked about this being Stirtz’s last tournament, McCollum said he never put muc...
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Photos: No. 9 seed Iowa men’s basketball falls to No. 8 seed Ohio State

The No. 9 seed Iowa Hawkeyes fell to the No. 8 seed Ohio State Buckeyes, 72-69, during the third round of the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on Thursday morning.
Leading the Hawkeyes, guard Bennett Stirtz had 17 points and ended up being the only Iowa player to reach double-digits. “Pressure’s a privilege, and you have to appreciate a challenge,” said Stirtz. 
The team nearly completed a 16-point comeback, the game coming down to the final two secon...
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Photos: No. 9 seed Iowa men’s basketball defeats No. 17 seed Maryland

The No. 9 seed Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the No. 17 seed Maryland Terrapins, 75-64, during the second round of the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on Wednesday morning.
Exactly one month ago, the Hawkeyes found themselves in a much different position after playing the Terrapins in Maryland, one of their worst performances of the season. But Wednesday brought the team one of their best offensive performances. Iowa forward Cooper Koch contributed a career...
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Photos: Iowa men’s basketball falls to No. 3 Michigan

The Iowa Hawkeyes fell to the No.3 Michigan Wolverines 71-68, during a basketball game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Thursday evening. Iowa’s record now sits at 20-10.
In the Hawkeyes final home game of the regular season, the seniors were recognized prior to the matchup, including guard Bennett Stirtz. The Missouri native led the team with 21 points, with forward Cam Manyawu following with 14 points. “The main thing is bringing what we brought today, every single day,” said Manyawu in a press conf...
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Photos: Iowa baseball defeats Loras College

The Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Loras Duhawks, 10-0, during a baseball game at Duane Banks Field on Wednesday. Iowa’s record now sits at 8-4. 
In the bottom of the second, the Hawkeyes secured four runs, followed by one more in the third. Iowa utility player Mitch Wood led the team with four RBIs and three hits. The game was cut-off at the seventh inning with the Ten-Run rule, as Iowa’s pitching staff held the Duhawks scoreless with pitcher Brady Ferguson making his second start of the year and o...
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Photos: Iowa men’s basketball falls to No. 24 Wisconsin

The Iowa Hawkeyes fell to the No. 24 Wisconsin Badgers, 84-71, during a basketball game at Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin on Sunday. Iowa’s record now sits at 19-8. 
This is Iowa’s third loss in their last four games, with the main issue being their defense. Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd led his team with 27 points and came just one rebound short of a triple-double. Forward Nolan Winter followed with 18 points and five rebounds. “Our offense is built to score, and we can score in a variety of way...
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Photos: Iowa men’s basketball upsets No. 9 Nebraska Cornhuskers

The Iowa Hawkeyes upset the No. 9 Nebraska Cornhuskers, 57-52, during a basketball game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Tuesday evening. Iowa’s record now sits at 19-7. 
Coming off of two losses in a row, one being Maryland and the latest being No. 13 Purdue, Iowa was looking for a win. Even after the little over 20 point loss on Saturday, attendance reached almost 11,500. “We appreciate, again, the crowd support, the energy. I think that willed us to victory,” said Iowa head coach Ben McCollum while...
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Photos: Iowa men’s basketball falls to the No. 13 Purdue Boilermakers

The Iowa Hawkeyes fell to the No. 13 Purdue Boilermakers, 78-57, during a basketball game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Saturday. Iowa’s record now sits at 18-7. 
After a surprising loss against Maryland on Wednesday night, the Hawkeyes didn’t have much time to regroup before playing the Boilermakers in front of a sold-out crowd.  “Sorry for our fans who showed up to watch that,” said Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz.
Stirtz led the team with 19 points, and ended up being the only Iowa player who reached...
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Photos: Iowa men’s basketball defeats Northwestern

The Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Northwestern Wildcats 76-70, during a basketball game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday afternoon. Iowa’s record now sits at 18-5. 
Bennet Stirtz had his best night of scoring ever, dropping 36 points, while Northwestern’s leading scorer, Nick Martinelli, had 21. Tavion Banks led the team in rebounding with seven total, with Cooper Koch and Alvaro Folgueiras not far behind, with both of them having five. Northwestern guard Jake West had a breakout game, putting up...
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Photos: Iowa men’s basketball defeats Southern California

Fans from both sides of the court experienced a rollercoaster of emotions during Wednesday night’s Big Ten matchup. The Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball team defeated the Southern California Trojans, 73-72, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Wednesday evening. Iowa’s record now sits at 15-5. 
Iowa guards Bennett Stirtz and Tavion Banks lead the team, scoring 20 points. After transferring to Southern California in December, guard Kam Woods attempted to secure a comeback win by not just scoring 19 points co...
The Daily Iowan •

Photos: Iowa men’s basketball defeats Southern California

Fans from both sides of the court experienced a rollercoaster of emotions during Wednesday night’s Big Ten matchup. The Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball team defeated the Southern California Trojans, 73-72, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Wednesday evening. Iowa’s record now sits at 15-5. 
Iowa guards Bennett Stirtz and Tavion Banks lead the team, scoring 20 points. After transferring to Southern California in December, guard Kam Woods attempted to secure a comeback win by not just scoring 19 points co...
The Daily Iowan •

Photos: Iowa City protests following ICE shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis

Iowa City community members called for accountability in a below freezing protest at the University of Iowa Pentacrest after the second fatal shooting in Minneapolis by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer this month.

Iowa City community members called for accountability in a below freezing protest at the University of Iowa Pentacrest after the second fatal shooting in Minneapolis by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer this month.
The Daily Iowan •

Photos: Iowa men’s basketball defeats Rutgers

The Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 68-62, in a close battle at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Tuesday evening. Iowa’s record now sits at 14-5. 
The Scarlet Knights didn’t make the win easy, with Iowa accumulating 19 personal fouls and twelve turnovers. Even though he had a slow start, only having seven points in the first half (with none of those coming from behind the arc), Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz led the Hawkeyes with 20 points and five assists. Iowa guard Tavion Banks had four...
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Photos: No. 11 Iowa women’s basketball defeats Oregon, 74-66

Iowa women’s basketball defeated the Oregon Ducks at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on Thursday, 74-66. Iowa is now 15-2.Iowa forward Hannah Stuelke earned a career-high eight assists combined with 18 points while teammate Addison Deal earned 18 points.This matchup was the first that Oregon as a member of the Big Ten has traveled to Carver-Hawkeye. Iowa faces No. 15 Michigan State at home Sunday at 7 p.m.

Iowa women’s basketball defeated the Oregon Ducks at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City...
The Daily Iowan •

Photos: Day two of the 2026 Legislative Session

Lawmakers came back to the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines for the second day of the 2026 legislative session. There were various meetings throughout the day on Tuesday, before the Condition of the State address in the evening.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds spoke in the House, highlighting property tax, cancer rates, and education as a few of her top priorities. This was her eighth and final address, as she is not seeking reelection. “As I enter my final legislative session as your Governor, I do so d...
The Daily Iowan •

Photos: Day two of the 2026 Legislative Session

Lawmakers came back to the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines for the second day of the 2026 legislative session. There were various meetings throughout the day on Tuesday, before the Condition of the State address in the evening.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds spoke in the House, highlighting property tax, cancer rates, and education as a few of her top priorities. This was her eighth and final address, as she is not seeking reelection. “As I enter my final legislative session as your Governor, I do so d...
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