Video: Iowa men fall to worst start since 1929

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A moral victory, this one wasn't.

Iowa's players and coaches were upbeat following Monday's loss to No. 3-ranked Texas. After last night's 74-57 defeat to Wichita State in the CBE Classic consolation game, the mood were dire.

"We just keep learning new lessons,” Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter said. “Hopefully, eventually, we'll be able to apply all of them and be successful. I say eventually, I hope it's real soon.”

Iowa stumbled to 1-4, its worst five-game start since 1929.

It was a loss for Iowa at all levels. Iowa struggled to score from the perimeter, sinking just 5 of 18 three-point shots. Iowa failed to defend the perimeter, allowing Wichita State to connect on 11 of 21 three-point attempts.

Wichita State forced 13 Iowa turnovers and hit nearly 57 percent of its shots from the floor. Wichita State reserve Garrett Stutz, who had scored 16 total points in the Shockers' first three games, scored 16 in the first half.

Perhaps worst of all for Iowa, Wichita State grabbed nine offensive rebounds, including six in the second half.

“I thought as far as maintaining our positions defensively on the rebound, I thought this was maybe our poorest effort of the year,” Lickliter said. “Maybe that's because of their speed.”

Early on Iowa matched the Shockers basket-for-basket and led 12-7 with 15 minutes, 49 seconds left in the first half. But, as in every Iowa defeat thus far, the Hawkeyes gave up a 13-2 run that put them behind by six only 3 minutes later.

Wichita State stretched its lead to 14 by halftime. Iowa four times cut the lead to seven points in the second half, but failed to pull closer.

“That's what happens when you play a good team. you let the game get away from you a little bit early,” Lickliter said. “They got so comfortable that we had our hands full.”

“We came out kind of laid back,” said freshman Cully Payne, who led Iowa with 18 points. “In the second half we turned it up, but at that point ... it's tough for us to rally back.”

As frustrating as the loss was for Iowa, it equally was exhilarating for Wichita State. The Shockers welcomed back guard Clevin Hannah, who missed the first three games because of a school certification error. He scored five points and dished six assists.

“Coach Lickliter is going through some hard times now trying to build this thing the right way and he will do that,” Wichita State Coach Gregg Marshall said. “But in the history books this will go down as a win for us against Iowa basketball in the Big Ten.”