An ice storm of shooting plagues Hawkeye men again in 64-52 loss at Wisconsin

(This was written in Cedar Rapids.)

MADISON, Wis. — Big Ten Network game analyst Robbie Hummel called it “puzzling” and said “I do not understand” multiple times Wednesday night.

Hummel was talking about the Iowa men’s basketball team’s 3-point shooting on the road in general, and at Wisconsin in specific Wednesday.

He didn’t use the word “horrible,” but certainly could have. Iowa’s coach did. Three days after going 3-for-24 from deep in an 80-60 loss at Northwestern, the Hawkeyes were even worse at Kohl Center. They were 3-of-28 in a 64-52 loss to the Badgers.

The Hawkeyes slid to 9-8 in the Big Ten and 17-11 overall. Wisconsin is 8-9, 16-11.

“Again, another horrible shooting night,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said on the Hawkeye Radio Network postgame show. “We had some really good looks. We mixed our motion and our actions and our sets. I thought the kids took good shots.”

Six Hawkeyes took at least three 3-pointers. None made more than one. This, on a night when average shooting might have propelled Iowa to victory. Wisconsin was an icy 4-of-18 from 3-point itself, and made only 10 of 18 free throws.

But the Badgers ran their offense to a lot more success in the second half, which began with them up by just one point. Their overall shooting was 52.1 percent. Iowa’s was 32.3.

Wisconsin did get hot from 3-point range long enough to make a difference. It took advantage of open looks and made three straight 3s in a stretch of 2:09 to turn a 41-40 deficit into a 49-43 lead, and pulled away in a game it needed to win to enhance its hopes of earning an NCAA tournament berth.

Iowa, which entered the game leading the Big Ten in scoring, had its lowest offensive output since its 66-50 loss at Nebraska on Dec. 29.

Hawkeye forward Kris Murray came in averaging 20.7 points, but had a season-low five on 2-of-10 shooting. He is 1-of-11 from behind the arc over the last two games.

“They worked hard guarding him,” McCaffery said in his postgame news conference. “They were physical, chasing him around. But truthfully, that’s what he gets every game.

“He missed a couple bunnies he normally gets. That weighs on you a little bit. We’ve just got to keep him positive.”

Freshman Connor Essegian had a game-high 17 points for the Badgers. Tyler Wahl had 11 points and 14 rebounds. Tony Perkins and Filip Rebraca scored 13 points each for Iowa.

The Hawkeyes broke to a 10-4 lead as Wisconsin, the nation’s leader in fewest turnovers per game, turned it over five times before the first media timeout. The Badgers scored the next six points, however. The rest of the first half was back-and-forth. As was the first 10 minutes of the second half.

However, Iowa scored just 11 points after that. It missed a dozen straight 3-pointers before Tyler Ulis sank one with 55 seconds remaining.

Whether your description is “puzzling,” “horrible,” or both, 3-of-28 is 3-of-28. The Hawkeyes have made 19 of 100 3s over their last five road games.

They’re 45-of-105 from deep over their last five games at home, and that’s where they play Michigan State (9-7, 17-10) Saturday at 11 a.m.

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