Iowa posts season-low numbers against Minnesota zone

IOWA CITY - Minnesota might have provided Iowa's five remaining regular-season opponents with a blueprint for how to defend the Hawkeyes.

The Gophers slapped a 2-3 zone on Iowa and held the Hawkeyes to a season-low 34 percent shooting from the field in a 62-45 Minnesota win Sunday. Iowa (10-15, 3-10 Big Ten) was spotty from 3-point range, connecting on only 6-of-28 shots - 21.4 percent - and missing 12 of 14 3-point attempts in the second half. Iowa's 28 3-point attempts were a season high.

“We anticipated seeing a lot of zone with a big lineup, as (Minnesota Coach Tubby Smith has) been playing both the big and small lineup,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said. “He tends to go back to man with the smaller lineup. We were struggling offensively, so he stayed in it big-small.

“We worked on it. Doesn't look like it, but we worked on it a lot. Actually, (we) executed really well all week in preparation for this game.”

Minnesota's front-line defense of 6-foot-11 Ralph Sampson III, 6-foot-10 Colton Iverson and 6-foot-8 Trevor Mbakwe prevented Iowa from attempting many interior shots. Iowa post players Melsahn Basabe, Jarryd Cole and Andrew Brommer attempted just nine shots from the field, and the Hawkeyes scored only 14 points in the paint, the team's second-lowest inside output this season.

Iowa's 45 points also were a season low.

“We knew they were going to be playing zone; it was just a little different than what we prepared for,” Cole said. “We were expecting it to be more of a 1-2-2 look or a kind of a 3-2 look with Sampson over the top. But he was sagging off a little bit so it kind of looked different than we prepared for. But other than that, we just weren't executing. We knew what our game plan was, but we didn't hold up to it.”

Iowa guard Matt Gatens hit two of his first three 3-point attempts but missed his final eight shots. Every shot Gatens took was from beyond the 3-point line and most were good looks.

“When you see a zone you get happy and you expect a big night,” Gatens said. “I thought I was going to have one when I hit a couple and they just weren't going in.

“I kind of feel like (former Iowa 3-point specialist) Devan Bawinkel from last year. I was getting open looks. I've got to step up and knock them down for my team because they were relying on me.”