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Iowa’s offense sinks to new low against UNI’s defense
Dec. 20, 2014 10:11 pm
DES MOINES — Iowa's perimeter shooting Saturday night was as slow and aggravating as the Wi-Fi signal inside Wells Fargo Arena. Then the Hawkeyes' shooting woes bottomed to a new low against Northern Iowa.
The Hawkeyes (8-4) turned a six-point halftime lead into a second-half nightmare. The Panthers (10-1) strangled Iowa with tenacious defense in a 56-44 UNI win in the Big 4 Classic nightcap.
Iowa sank just three of 24 shots and missed all seven 3-point attempts in the second half after halftime in the lowest scoring output in Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery's five years. No matter what McCaffery attempted to do with the offense, UNI counterpart Ben Jacobson had a defensive solution. That's where it started with Northern Iowa, and that's where the game ended for Iowa.
'Our guys found another level of defense in the second half, and that's what I told the guys afterward,' Jacobson said. 'Our defense is better because we've worked on it more than we did a year ago. But the reason is why it's much better is because our guys care more about defense.'
'They stayed really aggressive,' Iowa point guard Mike Gesell said. 'They started switching a lot, and we didn't take advantage of that. They played very tough defense in the second half.'
The Hawkeyes had nearly as many turnovers (10) as points (15) after halftime. They scored more points from the free-throw line (nine) than from field-goal attempts (six).
Iowa shot 40.7 percent in the first half and led 29-23. Then, in what has become a routine for the Hawkeyes against top teams, the beginning of the second half became a disaster.
UNI's Seth Tuttle blocked a shot from Iowa center Adam Woodbury, and Gesell missed the follow-up jumper. UNI's Marvin Singleton scored inside to cut Iowa's lead to 29-25. Then Woodbury missed shots on Iowa's next two possessions, and UNI followed with a bucket from point guard Deon Mitchell and a pair of free throws by Jeremy Morgan to take a 31-29 lead.
'They scored the first couple hoops in the second half, and we started going a little one-on-one,' McCaffery said. 'We had a couple really good looks at it. It's kind of been the story of our team. I didn't see a ton of horrendous shots, insane plays. We were trying to work the ball. We shot it maybe a little bit quick at times, maybe settled for jumpers a little more than I would have liked.'
The 8-0 run by Northern Iowa took place inside the second half's first media timeout. In Iowa's five games against opponents either ranked or receiving votes (Texas, Syracuse, North Carolina, Iowa State, UNI), the Hawkeyes have been outscored 61-13 before the first media timeout after halftime.
'Obviously it has happened some, it hasn't happened some,' McCaffery said. 'It's typically against good teams. It's something I think you've got to look at, you've got to break it down possession-by-possession. Do I want to come out in a different lineup, do I want to come out and run sets rather than motion?
'It's disappointing because you get a stop and score and you're up eight. It changes everything.'
l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@thegazette.com
Northern Iowa Panthers guard Jeremy Morgan (left) guards Iowa Hawkeyes forward Jarrod Uthoff during second half of the second game at the Big Four Classic men's college basketball at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, home Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014. Northern Iowa won, 56-44. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)