The Iowa Hawkeyes’ 3rd straight loss comes after leading for over half of the game
After a pair of games where the Iowa Hawkeyes (12-5, 2-4) started slow, they came out firing in Mackey Arena against the #5 Purdue Boilermakers (16-1, 6-0). Unfortunately the Hawks couldn’t hang on despite leading much of the first half and could not match Purdue’s second half where they made 8 straight baskets down the stretch.
Despite that stretch of excellent offense by the Boilers, it only flipped a 1-point deficit to a 3-point lead as Iowa fought tooth and nail on offense to give themselves a chance down the stretch. Bennett Stirtz finished with 19 points on 7-15 shooting but couldn’t match Braden Smith down the stretch who scored an efficient 16 points (all in the second half) on 6/9 shooting and 4/4 free throws.
The Hawks started hot, making 4 straight shots to start the game and go up 11-6. Despite Bennett Stirtz drawing two quick fouls once again, the Hawks were able to get and hit open shots, including 3-4 crazy bounces they don’t normally get at Mackey. The hot shooting continued with 4 different Hawkeyes combining to make 5 straight 3s and go up 19-16.
Purdue eventually got the lead but a Stirtz layup tied it up at 31 apiece. Kael Combs, who looked much more aggressive shooting the basketball, closed the half with his second 3 to get the halftime lead, 34-31.
The lead felt tenuous, as the Boilers were constantly lurking. They got a 1-point lead after back-to-back Trey Kaufmann-Renn and-ones but Iowa put together a sensational stretch of basketball: offensive board led to a Stirtz and-one, stop, Combs 3, then back-to-back dunks by Cam Manyawu, the second of which was a “pick six” where he nabbed a lazy pass and took it to the rim unencumbered.
48-39! Cooking with gas!
Matt Painter called a timeout and then Smith got his scoring going with a midrange jumper. After two more baskets by the Purdue, Alvaro Folgueiras had a loping layup before Ben McCollum called a TO with 11:58 left. Iowa was able to go defense/offense with subs, force a turnover, and then get another breather on the bench for gear up for the stretch run. 4 guys went over 30 minutes tonight. Welcome back, Cam Manyawu!
The Hawks couldn’t capitalize, though, with a turnover straight out of the timeout. On Iowa’s next possession, another turnover but this was the first of two legit dangerous plays by Smith which went uncalled as he dove straight into Stirtz’s legs going for a loose ball. Three minutes later, Stirtz canned a 3 to go up 1 and Smith entered his landing zone. Indicative of the calls which weren’t called tonight.
Iowa continued to fight, as this was during the stretch where Purdue could not miss. Tate Sage hit a huge three to tie it up at 64. (might want to count our days with him as he had a block/rebound/save on Smith in the first half which was Murrayesque) But free throws stretched Purdue’s lead to 69-64 with 3:18 remaining and Iowa was unable to get it closer than 2 the rest of the way. And that came on a desperate Tavion Banks 3 (his third of the game) with the shot clock winding down.
Purdue answered with a 3 of their own and that was it, for the most part as they couldn’t string stops together.
Such ends another tough game for a team still looking to get that marquee victory.
Next up: Saturday, 1/17 at Indiana (1:00p CST, FOX)
Category: General Sports
