Uthoff guides Hawkeyes to opening win

IOWA CITY - Iowa forward Jarrod Uthoff admitted he played sluggishly in an exhibition loss last week. But, boy, did he make up for it last night in the Hawkeyes' opener against Gardner-Webb.

In a grinding first half, Uthoff kept Iowa in contention with 21 points in the first half of a 76-59 victory at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Uthoff scored eight of Iowa's first nine points in multiple ways.

Uthoff, a senior, was fouled while sinking a layup. He hit a fadeaway jumper. Then he nailed a 3-pointer. It all was vital in a hotly contested first half where Gardner-Webb led 34-32 as late as 3:05 remaining.

'I just had the mind-set of being aggressive and it worked out that way,” Uthoff said. 'I think we moved the ball pretty well.”

'It was funny because early he really wasn't as aggressive as I really wanted him to be and as the half went on he just took over,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said.

Sophomore Dominique Uhl tied up the game with a basket off the glass. One possession later, Uthoff drilled a 3-pointer to put the Hawkeyes up 37-34. The Bulldogs tied the score on a basket and a free throw. Then Uthoff finished the half with a jumper and two free throws to push Iowa ahead 41-37. Uthoff didn't score in the second half but added six rebounds.

The Hawkeyes opened the second half on an 8-0 run to take control of the game. Iowa guard Peter Jok knocked down 3-pointers on consecutive possessions, and point guard Mike Gesell followed with a steal and layup to go up 49-37.

But the game had its tough moments, too. Jok was injured in a scramble near the Iowa bench and spent most of the second half in the training room. He returned to the bench late in the game with a walking boot over his right ankle. Jok's status for Sunday's game is undetermined.

'I think the key will be (how the ankle responds Saturday),” McCaffery said. 'Right now, it's hurting.

'I don't think it's going to keep him out for three weeks or anything like that.”

After subpar efforts in two exhibitions, Uhl played with renewed effort and toughness. He entered the game after the first media timeout and on his first offensive possession, Uhl scored on a lob pass from guard Mike Gesell. On his next trip up the floor, Uhl drove the lane and threw down a contested dunk. He followed that up by securing a jump ball on defense.

Uhl finished with six points, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a pair of turnovers in 19 minutes. McCaffery liked the way Uhl responded to the challenge this week.

'I said, there's two ways to handle adversity,” Uhl said. 'He played two minutes last Friday night. Didn't play well in those two minutes. Probably felt like he should have played more.

'So there is one of two ways you handle the next week of practice, and that's why I went to him first, because he handled it very professionally and really impacted the game in a huge way in the first half. I thought he played with great energy the whole game and was pretty solid.”

Uhl said McCaffery's comments provided motivation.

'I just tried to play hard, and he told me I responded well,” Uhl said.

Uhl played mostly at center in the first half but shifted to multiple positions throughout the game.

'I feel like I can go by bigger guys easier and if I have smaller guys on me, I can just post them up.”

Forward Nicholas Baer didn't see action before halftime but knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in 13 minutes of action in the second half.

'(Anthony Clemmons) hit me with a great pass and I was ready to shoot so I guess that's part of the game plan, make sure we're running and making sure we're getting good shots,” Baer said. '

The Hawkeyes (1-0) face Coppin State at 4 p.m. Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

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