Game story from Dec. 22, 1986 (victory over Rider)
Dec. 22, 1986
Hawkeyes sail past outmanned Rider for perfect 10-0 record
By Randy Peterson
Register Staff Writer
Iowa City, Ia.—Tom Davis hasn’t even experienced his initial heavy Iowa snowfall, but already the rookie Iowa basketball coach has his team flying on a course only five other Hawkeye teams have flown.
Iowa’s 104-71 victory over an outmanned Rider college outfit at Carver-Hawkeye Arena here Monday night was the Hawks’ 10th straight success, an accomplishment that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
It’s the nation’s longest winning streak, one that has carried Iowa to a No. 3 national ranking. Iowa’s 10-0 start matches the 10-0 begging of the 1979-80 team of Lute Olson.
The 1901-02 team of Ed Rule started 10-0, but as good as those records may be they still are two shy of the Iowa best. It’s 12, and it was accomplished twice—first in the 1943-44 season when Pope Harrison guided his team to 12 straight victories before finishing with a 14-4 record.
The other team that opened with a dozen straight victories was the 1951-52 outfit of Frank O’Connor that finished with a 19-3 record.
Iowa garnered its 10th victory of Davis’ first season here against a team Iowa met for the first time, but Davis was no stranger to the Broncs’ coach, John Carpenter. The two ere rivals between 1971 and 1977 when Davis was coaching at Lafayette College, which is in the same East Coast Conference as Rider.
Monday’s victory placed Davis’ career record against Carpenter at 8-6. The Hawkeyes romped to at 55-31 lead at intermission, pleasing each of the 15,500 fans in attendance. Much of this early lead results from a trapping full-court defense that forced numerous Bronc turnovers in the initial 30 minutes.
Also instrumental was Iowa’s whopping 31-17 edge in rebounding. All that was proven in the second half was that Iowa could increase an already insurmountable lead and maintain their level of play.
The lead ballooned to as many as 44 points in a game in which Iowa could have played Name That Score. The rebounding numbers were as lopsided as some scores—Iowa 57, Rider 33.
“One of the things that really pleases me about this tea is that they just haven’t let up, no matter what the score,” said Davis. “The intensity has been just tremendous. There have been some times when one aspect of the game may have faltered at certain times during a game, but it’s never happened for very long.
“I know there will be times when there’s a longer letdown. Something like that’s bound to happen in a 31 game schedule. We’ll just have to do our best to bounce back from it.”
Roy Marble led Iowa’s highest point total of the season with 19 points. He was followed by the 13 form Brad Lohaus and B.J. Armstrong, and 12 from Al Lorenzen. Lorenzen made six of nine shots from the field and had six rebounds in what Davis called his best outing of the season.
“I’ve seen signs that Al’s going to be a player,” Davis said with emphasis on player. “He played very well tonight.”
Sharpshooters Marshall Grier and Ron Simpson paced Rider (1-8) with 25 and 22 points, respectively.
“I don’t think (Iowa) played as well tonight as they did the two games I saw them play on TV,” said Rider’s Carpenter. “But it’s going to take a heck of a team to beat them.”
Davis again substituted throughout the game-which didn’t surprise Carpenter.
“That’s a trademark of Tom’s teams,” Carpenter said. “He did it when he was a Lafayette and he’s doing it here. The key to it is to be successful. So far, he has been and there’s no reason to believe that it won’t continue to be that way.”
“It’s nice to be able to go home over Christmas with a 10-0 record,” added Marble. “We’re all going to go home with the knowledge that everyone will be out to beat the University of Iowa. That’s a pretty good feeling.”
Iowa’s 10 victories have included championships in the Great Alaska Shootout and its own Amana-Hawkeye classic.
Next up is a trip to the Anteater Classic in Long Beach, Calif. Iowa opens at 10 p.m. (CST) Sunday against Portland. The other two teams in the tournament are Eastern Washington and California-Irvine.
Davis said he has given his players two days off to recuperate. The players will meet him Wednesday in Long Beach.
“We’ll have three practices before the tournament,” he said. “I’m fairly sure that’ll be enough time to get everybody back in shape.”
RIDER (71) — Girer 11-15 3-6 25, Simpson 9-17 2-2 22, Rosen 2-10 0-2 4, Titus 3-11 2-2 8, Nesmith 1-5 0-0 2, Tarpey 3-5 2-4 8, Magee 0-2 0-0 0, Urbanik 1-4 0-0 2, Kinger 0-4 0-0 0, Averbuck 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-73 9-16 71.
IOWA (104) — Marble 8-14 3-5 19, Lohaus 6-10 0-0 13, Horton 3-5 0-0 6, Gamble 3-9 1-2 7, Armstrong 5-8 3-3 13, Moe 4-12 0-0 9, Hill 2-2 1-1 5, Lorenzen 6-9 0-2 12, Jones 2-3 3-3 7, Reaves 2-4 0-0 4, Jewell 1-2 3-3 5, Morgan 1-3 0-0 2, Casey 1-2 0-0 2, M. Jones 0-0 0-0 0, Westin 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 44-84 14-19 104.
Halftime—Iowa 55, Rider 31. Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Rider 33 (Rosen 6), Iowa 57 (Lohaus, Hill 8). Assists—Rider 17 (Nesmith 7), Iowa 26 (Marble, Horton, Reaves 4). Total Fouls—Rider 22, Iowa 17. Technicals—None. Attendance—15,500.
