The Iowa Hawkeyes snapped a four-game losing streak and beat Michigan, 71-61, last Saturday at Ann Arbor.
Earlier that week, the Hawks lost on senior night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena to Big Ten champs Indiana, 81-78.
The Hawks had two chances to put the game into overtime.
Iowa trailed 81-78 with six seconds left but Anthony Clemmons and Peter Jok couldn’t connect and the Hawks lost their fourth straight.
This was another tough one to swallow.
Iowa trailed by as many as 14 points with 14:34 left in the game, came all the way back to take a 74-72 lead with 4:27 left, but once again came up short.
Missing nine free throws (18-27) didn’t help.
The Hawkeyes seem to bring out the best in every team they play as the Hoosiers hit 8-11 (72.7 percent) 3-pointers in the first half.
They were shooting 42 percent behind the arc for the season.
They cooled off in the second half (3-11) but hit a big 3 with 37 seconds left to give them the Big Ten title.
In the first game that Indiana won 85-79, the Hoosiers led at half 45-38, the Hawks came back to take the lead in the second half but couldn’t hold on for the win.
That started Iowa losing five of the next six.
The Hawkeyes had no bench points in that game.
Last week at Carver, Ahmad Wagner, Christian Williams, Dom Uhl and Nic Baer outscored the Hoosier bench, 27-19.
“So proud of those guys,” said Iowa coach Fran McCaffery. “Ahmad was fabulous, Baer was great, Christian Williams was great and Dom Uhl gave us great energy.”
Christian played his most minutes (12) all season with Mike Gesell in foul trouble.
At 6-5, Christian is long and that came into play as he made a steal with under six seconds left that gave Iowa the ball and a chance at the end.
Iowa had its senior night on the road this year with its 21st win at Michigan.
You start with Jarrod Uthoff, an All-Big Ten First Team selection, who played 38 minutes, scored 29 points, with seven rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots.
There have been only three Hawkeyes to block over 80 shots in a season? Acie Earl, Eric Hansen and Jarrod.
“When he’s playing like that,” said coach Fran, “it changes everything for us.”
Jarrod doesn’t have to score 29 in every game, but when he is hitting his shots (11-19) it sure helps.
Mike Gesell scored only six points but he had 11 assists and only one turnover in 33 minutes.
Mike has 186 assists for the season. That is seven short of the single-season record of 193, set by Andre Woolridge in 1996.
Adam Woodbury had 11 rebounds and nine points while Anthony Clemmons had 12 points (all in the second half), two assists only one turnover in 35 minutes.
When your two starting guards combine for only two turnovers, you’re going to win some games.
The bench struggled with only five points and four rebounds, but they only turned the ball over once and played good defense.
The Iowa defense held Michigan to 36 percent shooting, the Hawks shot 45 percent.
Iowa has won 12 conference games in back-to-back seasons for only the third time in program history.
That is also the first time since 1954 (the year I was born) that Iowa swept Michigan and Michigan State in the same season.
The Hawks will open the Big Ten Tournament Thursday afternoon against the winner of the Minnesota-Illinois game.
Hawkeye women
Iowa got a nice win to start the Big Ten Tournament last Thursday by beating Michigan for the second time this season, 97-85.
When the Hawks started out, they trailed by as much as 16 points and I was worried that a young team would have a tough time coming back.
Ally Disterhoft, Iowa’s junior leader, put the Hawkeyes on her back, scoring 17 points (her season average) in the first half.
Iowa, which trailed 24-8, outscored the Wolverines 48-18, led at half 52-42, and never looked back.
Iowa shot 60.7 percent from the field, the best this season.
How about Megan Gustafson and Chase Coley?
Both had double-doubles (Megan 25 points, 10 rebounds; Chase 20 points, 10 rebounds) and both were 10-13 from the floor.
Chase also had six blocked shots and six assists. A lot of her assists were to Megan.
That is unbelievable production from your inside players.
Ally, who played all 40 minutes, finished with 22 including 8-11 from the floor, 4-4 from 3-point range, 2-2 from the free throw line, five rebounds, five assists and three steals.
No wonder she was named Second Team All-Big Ten.
Congratulations to Ally for being named the women’s Academic All-American of the Year. Jarrod Uthoff was also named the men’s Academic All-American of the Year. Iowa is the first school to have both women and men selected for the award.
Tania Davis and Whitney Jennings also put up some solid numbers, with Tania scoring 10 with 10 assists and only one turnover. Whitney had 11 points with five assists and six steals.
That is about as balanced as you can get.
Throw in 28 assists, only nine turnovers, good play from the bench and that’s how Lisa Bluder coaches basketball.
This is the fifth straight year that the Hawks have won the opening game of the tournament.
On Friday, the Hawks were knocked out by No. 1 seed Maryland, 75-55.
The game was closer than the score, but three stats stick out big-time.
Maryland won the points in the paint battle, 50-18.
They also won the rebounding, 42-35.
Finally, Iowa had 22 turnovers and the Terrapins had a 30-15 advantage on points off turnovers.
Iowa came out strong, led by 10 at the end of the first quarter, but scored only four points in the second quarter.
Ally Disterhoft led the Hawks with 16, Whitney Jennings scored 11 and Kali Peschel came off the bench with 10.
The Hawks dropped to 19-14 and could host a WNIT game or two if they don’t get into the NCAA Tournament.
Hawkeye wrestlers
finish second
I haven’t gone to many wrestling meets this season.
Father Time and Arthur (arthritis) have slowed me down and I have to choose my moments in the cold, icy winter months.
I did choose to go to the Big Ten Championships in Carver last weekend and other than the Hawkeyes not winning, had a good time.
Getting down on the floor, taking pictures and hearing the wrestlers, the coaches and the fans is great.
The only bad thing is (and I was told this), you can’t cheer.
That’s one of the reasons I don’t go in the press box at Kinnick Stadium.
You can’t cheer when you’re in the media press box.
I was up there for a Wisconsin game a couple of years ago and left before half because it was too sterile.
The Hawk wrestlers had four finalists with Cory Clark (133) and Sammy Brooks (184) crowned as champions.
Iowa finished second (127 points) to Penn State (150), which crowned three champs.
You always look if the wrestlers can wrestle at or above their seed.
Cory was seeded second and Sammy third so they both stepped up.
Brandon Sorensen (149) and Nathan Burak (197) were in the finals, finishing second.
Brandon was seeded second, Nathan third.
Thomas Gilman (125) was seeded second and finished third, while Edwin Cooper, Jr., (157) was a fifth seed and placed fourth.
Second-seeded Alex Meyer (174) finished fifth.
It didn’t help that heavyweight Sam Stoll injured his knee on March 22 against North Carolina State.
Sam was a three seed and finished eighth.
The Hawks have a chance to have Sam and Patrick Rhoads (165) qualify for the NCAA championships held in Madison Square Garden March 17, 18 and 19.