BC outlasts even-more-short-handed Hawks

IOWA CITY - The Iowa Hawkeyes climbed. And they climbed.

But the slope was too slippery and the summit was out of reach.

Whenever the short-handed Hawkeyes seemed to be gaining traction, Boston College gave them a nudge and recorded a 72-67 win last night as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge before 2,273 fans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Hawkeyes (5-3) rallied from a 14-point deficit to tie it, overcame a seven-point deficit to tie it again, but couldn't answer one more time at the end.

“We had an opportunity at the end, and that's what you want,” said Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder.

Kamille Wahlin's potential game-tying 3-pointer was off the mark in the final seconds.

“With it comes to close games, as a player, you're excited and you're not going to back down from these opportunities,” said Wahlin, who led all scorers with 23 points. “Some nights, it goes in; some nights, it doesn't.”

The Hawks fouled Stefanie Murphy with 6 seconds left, but it was only Iowa's sixth foul of the half. BC's Mickel Picco took the inbounds pass, eluded would-be foulers before finally getting hacked with 0.4 seconds left.

Picco made both free throws to seal it.

Carolyn Swords, the leading scorer and rebounder for the Eagles (4-3), fouled out with 12:19 left. But Murphy stepped forward with nine of her team's final 21 points.

“She did a great job finishing around the basket,” said BC Coach Sylvia Crawley. “She made up the difference.”

Only seven Hawkeyes played Wednesday. Injuries (JoAnn Hamlin, Hannah Draxten, Kachine Alexander) and in-house discipline (Shante Jones) have depleted the depth, and a Big Ten-imposed one-game suspension for Gabby Machado cost Iowa another player.

“On paper, we were totally outmatched. But I'm extremely proud of the effort we continue to give,” Bluder said.

Machado was busted for fighting in the Hawkeyes' game against Columbia on Sunday.

Bluder said Machado will return for Sunday's Big Ten opener against Michigan.

“In my opinion, she overserved for what happened in that game,” Bluder said.

BC appeared on the verge of running away with it, turning a 35-29 halftime lead into a 47-33 bulge.

When Morgan Johnson converted a three-point play - fouling out Swords in the process - the game was tied, 51-51.

The Eagles scored the next seven points, then Iowa countered with seven straight.

But Murphy and the Eagles had the final say. BC outrebounded the Hawks, 22-10, in the second half.

“Our defense and our box-outs have to improve,” Bluder said.

Johnson added 16 points for Iowa, Jaime Printy 13.