Big Ten-ACC Challenge remains a challenge for Iowa

IOWA CITY - The Big Ten-ACC Challenge remains, well, a challenge for the Iowa basketball program.

The Hawkeyes (4-3), which own the worst winning percentage in the series' history, lost yet another Big Ten-ACC Challenge match-up in excruciating fashion Tuesday night. Clemson (4-2) this time knocked off Iowa 71-55 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Iowa now has lost six straight Big Ten-ACC Challenge games and 9 of 11 overall. Like most of Iowa's previous challenge losses, the wounds were self-inflicted. Unlike others in recent memory, Tuesday's loss was complete destruction.

Iowa missed shots at an alarming rate and lacked any perimeter defense in the first half. That trend continued well into the second half.

With 13:01 left in the game, Iowa trailed 46-24, was out-rebounded 35-18 and shot just 22.3 percent from the field (9-of-40). Clemson, conversely, sank half of its 3-point attempts - 9-of-18 - and shot 46 percent.

Iowa's final statistics were just as glaring. Clemson sank more than half its shots - 52 percent - while Iowa shot just 28.6 percent. The Tigers hit 11 of 21 3-point attempts; Iowa just 3-of-11. Clemson out-rebounded Iowa by 15 and had 20 assists to Iowa's five.

It was a complete whipping, just like Iowa's previous two beatings this year.

"I think it was more than (a bad shooting night)," Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said. "That obviously was a big part of it. I thought early on we had good looks. We fell back into the sort of the trap we had in the Creighton game, when they started hitting and we weren't. We started quick-shooting the ball again. To me that's one of the disappointing things about the first half. We needed to keep them on defense a little bit longer."

Iowa started strong, scoring the game's first basket. Then point guard Bryce Cartwright stole the inbound pass and scored on a layup to push Iowa's lead to 4-0. Then the offense hit the skids.

The Hawkeyes scored just eight points over 19 possessions, spanning the next 11 minutes. Clemson took advantage, outworking Iowa both inside and outside. The Tigers hit three 3-pointers, were active around the rim and pressured Iowa offensively.

Iowa's best players also struggled. Sophomore Melsahn Basabe had no points and no rebounds by halftime. Senior Matt Gatens missed two shots and one free throw in 15 first-half minutes - and had no other statistics. Gatens finished with eight points, while Basabe added two.

Basabe, a member of the Big Ten's all-freshman team last year, now has scored two points in each of Iowa's last four games.

Gatens, Basabe and starting forward Eric May combined to shoot 3-of-18 from the floor. Cartwright shot 2-of-11 and totaled seven points.

Freshman guard Josh Oglesby was the lone bright spot for Iowa. He sank three 3-pointers and scored 15 points, easily the team high.

Iowa now has lost three games, including two in Iowa City, by at least 16 points. Clemson was the only returning NCAA Tournament team on Iowa's non-conference schedule and the team faces instate foes next week.

The bleat goes on.

CLEMSON (4-2)

Smith 3-7 0-0 7, Jennings 1-5 0-0 2, Booker 4-6 0-0 9, Hall 3-6 1-4 7, Young 6-10 2-2 19, Sapp 5-9 0-0 13, Fields 0-1 0-0 0, Baciu 4-5 0-0 8, Coleman 0-0 0-0 0, Narcisse 1-3 0-0 3, Sullivan 0-0 0-0 0, McDaniels 1-2 1-1 3. Totals 28-54 4-7 71.

IOWA (4-3)

Basabe 1-6 0-0 2, McCabe 3-4 1-1 7, May 1-6 0-0 2, Gatens 1-6 6-7 8, Cartwright 2-11 3-4 7, Olaseni 0-0 0-0 0, Oglesby 4-9 4-4 15, Marble 2-8 2-2 6, McCarty 0-0 0-0 0, Brommer 0-2 2-2 2, White 2-4 0-0 4, Stubbs 0-0 2-2 2, Stokes 0-0 0-0 0, Archie 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-56 20-22 55.

Halftime_Clemson 34-20. 3-Point Goals_Clemson 11-21 (Young 5-6, Sapp 3-6, Booker 1-1, Narcisse 1-2, Smith 1-5, Jennings 0-1), Iowa 3-11 (Oglesby 3-4, Gatens 0-1, Cartwright 0-1, White 0-1, Marble 0-1, May 0-3). Fouled Out_McCabe. Rebounds_Clemson 42 (Smith 14), Iowa 27 (McCabe 7). Assists_Clemson 20 (Smith 8), Iowa 5 (Cartwright 2). Total Fouls_Clemson 21, Iowa 11. A_10,449.

[nggallery id=706]