Hawkeye men fall at Purdue
West Lafayette, Ind.– Happier, but not happy. That was Iowa basketball coach Fran McCaffery’s take of Tuesday’s 75-68 loss to Purdue at Mackey Arena.
After getting pushed around in its last road game, a 34-point loss at Michigan State a week ago, McCaffery was looking for a few good men.
“Happier,” McCaffery said. “I don’t know if happy is the word. We lost a game, and we had an opportunity to win.”
Iowa led by 11 points late in the first half, and cut a 10-point deficit to two halfway through the second half, but a third Big Ten road win proved elusive despite a career-high 20 points from Zach McCabe and 18 from Devyn Marble.
“I thought Zach was spectacular, in both halves,” McCaffery said.
McCabe, who matched a season high with 13 points in the first half, made three-of-five 3-pointers and was seven-of-13 from the field.
“If people leave me open, I’m going to shoot it,” the sophomore forward said. “I can play inside also. I just try to be a versatile player and a team player.”
The loss dropped Iowa to 3-4 in the Big Ten and 11-9 overall heading into a nine-day layoff. Purdue, getting 17 points from forward Robbie Hummel and 14 points, three assists and no turnovers from point guard Lewis Jackson, improved to 4-2 and 14-5.
Iowa also got manhandled at home by Ohio State in a 29-point loss before the disaster at Michigan State. A win at home against Michigan Saturday was a step in the right directon, but the Purdue game showed Iowa is still a work in progress.
“I don’t think they mugged us out of the gym like the other two teams did,” Marble said.
Iowa had lost by 22, 23 and 23 points in its last three visits to Purdue, games that were essentially over by halftime. This game actually had the announced crowd of 14,134 at Mackey Arena a bit nervous.
Bryce Cartwright’s free throw gave Iowa its largest lead of the game, 34-23, just 2 minutes 57 seconds before halftime.
“We were getting good looks a the rim,”Hummel said. “I swear we had 40 shots go in-and-out.”
Purdue closed the half with an 8-2 run, and that momentum carried over into the second half. After being down 10, the Boilermakers went on a 30-9 run over the two halves to take a 53-43 lead with 11:52 remaining.
Iowa had just one field goal in 12 attempts during a 12:44 stretch over the two halves. But the Hawkeyes had life after an 8-0 flurry in just 90 seconds – two free throws by both Marble and Matt Gatens and then baskets by Aaron White and Marble, cut the deficit to 53-51.
The Hawkeyes twice had a chance to tie or take the lead, but turned it over both times. A 10-2 Purdue run, which included two Jackson baskets and an assist for another, was too much for Iowa to overcome. That and Purdue’s 41-32 rebounding edge which included 16 on the offensive glass.
“Too many offensive rebounds,” said Gatens, who finished with 12 points. “Which is everybody. All five of us need to get in there and rough it up.”
Category: Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball
Simple get better players
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