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Cyclones run into brick wall, Iowa takes advantage of cold shooting

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2 years ago

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Cyclones run into brick wall, Iowa takes advantage of cold shooting


IOWA CITY, Iowa — The No. 10 Cyclones landed in Iowa Metropolis with heads held excessive following a robust bounce again sport towards SIUE.

The Cyclones had just one loss on the season and felt assured in competing exhausting towards in-state rival No. 16 Iowa. Nevertheless, it appeared Iowa had been watching tapes, as comparable points from the loss to North Carolina arose when the Cyclones crumbled within the second half to fall to Iowa 70-57.

“Our incapacity to shoot the ball continues to hang-out us slightly bit,” Iowa State head coach Invoice Fennelly stated.

A second half that felt eerily paying homage to the Phil Knight Invitational noticed Iowa not solely erase a 5-point Iowa State lead however placed on a taking pictures show that left Iowa State within the mud.

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The Cyclones battled exhausting, however in the long run, the energy of the house crowd gave the Hawkeyes an edge, because the Cyclones dropped their second sport of the season.

It began with a chilly first quarter. Identical to many video games this season, pictures weren’t falling early, however the Cyclones weren’t frightened of placing the ball up.

It appeared like three-pointers weren’t going to fall till Stephanie Soares lastly let one fly that caught nothing however web. After lacking the primary 4 threes, the Cyclones wanted that to get right into a groove.

On the first media timeout, the Cyclones had shot 1-11, making just one three-pointer within the first 5 minutes of the sport. That chilly taking pictures continued, as they didn’t rating one other level till two minutes left within the quarter. 

“I feel after we’re lacking that many pictures, you’re upset as a result of… that’s not who they’re,” Fennelly stated.

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With time ticking down, the Cyclones wanted a spark on offense, they usually obtained simply that.

Emily Ryan drove to the rim and, with a defender in her face, tossed the ball as much as decide up a layup that become a three-point play. That play gave the Cyclones sufficient momentum to chip away at Iowa’s lead. 

With lower than a minute left within the first quarter, Ashley Joens had been quiet all evening. The frustration mounted as the primary 5 pictures she put up couldn’t make their manner into the basket. 

The Iowa defenders noticed how chilly Joens was and let her shoot on her subsequent try. That proved to be a giant mistake as Joens knocked down a shot from past the arc to tie up the sport going into the second quarter.

Proper earlier than the half, Ryan put up a shot from past the arc to take again the lead. A foul down low gave the Cyclones one other possession, and Ryan went again for spherical two. 

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After she nailed her second-straight three, Ryan sprinted down the court docket to go one-on-one with Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and blocked her shot. Her efforts helped propel the Cyclones to a 28-23 lead at halftime.

Nevertheless, simply as shortly as the great instances got here, the tough evening forward unfolded. 

Trailing by 5 factors in the beginning of the third quarter, Iowa did its finest to surge again because the Cyclones clung to a lead. On the media timeout, the rating had come down to at least one level, with Iowa State nonetheless main because of a few putbacks by Soares. 

The recent offense that went into the locker room was nowhere to be seen, because the second half felt sneakily acquainted to the beginning of the sport. The Cyclones got possibilities to cease the bleeding on the free throw line however got here up quick time after time.

“Clearly, once you miss eight free throws in a row, that will get in everybody’s head,” Fennelly stated. “I don’t know if I’ve ever… I feel my grandson Will’s workforce had eight misses in a row as soon as.”

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Clark additionally made her presence recognized, as she had been held to simply 2-14 within the first half. Clark pulled up from the emblem to empty a 3 in signature trend to present Iowa the lead.

The Cyclones wanted to get one thing working and shortly. Nevertheless, only a few possessions later, Clark caught Donarski slacking once more and pulled up from the emblem once more so as to add to her sizzling streak.

Iowa scored extra factors within the third quarter than they scored in the complete first half, getting into the ultimate quarter with a 50-36 lead. The Cyclones couldn’t get pictures to fall, hitting solely 5 three-pointers of their 20 tries within the sport as much as that time. 

With how chilly the workforce was from three, the Cyclones had been beginning to shrink back from the three-point line, opting to drive the ball extra usually.

“After we handed up pictures, we kinda performed into their protection slightly bit extra,” Fennelly stated. “We’re able to making these pictures; we’re simply not doing it.”

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The hesitation the Cyclones confirmed allowed Iowa to tug forward as the ultimate quarter approached. Fennelly had prided his workforce on their potential to maintain confidence in themselves, even when the outcomes weren’t going of their favor.

Nevertheless, identical to different low-scoring nights, the gamers had been searching for different methods to place factors on the board.

The Cyclones girls’s basketball workforce awaits the beginning of the 2nd half on the Cy-Hawk 2022 girls’s basketball sport. Dec. 7, 2022. (Jacob Rice)

“There’s in all probability a small quantity, however I’ll say there aren’t many coaches within the nation that everybody on our workforce has a inexperienced mild, and I’m begging them to shoot it,” Fennelly stated, “after which they don’t.”

As time was operating out, the Cyclones had been desperately attempting to chop into Iowa’s lead, however the Hawkeyes didn’t budge an inch. Iowa State performed exhausting by every possession, however Iowa continued to knock pictures down on the buzzer.

Late within the sport, Iowa’s Kate Martin threw up two miracle pictures from deep on the shot-clock buzzer and hit them each. The nail within the coffin for the Cyclones.

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The roaring Iowa crowd drowned out the ultimate buzzer as Clark and the Hawkeyes stood victorious. One other win for Iowa within the Cy-Hawk collection.

Regardless of the poor taking pictures and second lack of the season, Fennelly nonetheless has religion that the workforce can do nice issues sooner or later. Iowa is a tricky workforce and deserved each little bit of that No. 16 rating. Including to that, enjoying in Iowa Metropolis offered one other robust problem for the Cyclones.

“I like our workforce. I like our workforce, and that’s not even up for debate,” Fennelly stated. “We obtained beat by a very, actually good workforce in a tricky setting. That’s a credit score to them, and we’ve misplaced a number of video games over right here previously and kinda rebounded from it and carried out OK. We’ll be OK.”



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Iowa

Keys to Victory: Nebraska at Iowa

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5 hours ago

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November 28, 2024

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Keys to Victory: Nebraska at Iowa


Nebraska heads to Iowa City on Friday for the annual Black Friday matchup against the Hawkeyes. At 6-5, the Huskers are bowl eligible for the first time since 2016. Iowa comes into the game at 7-4, having won three out of their last four. Of the two teams’ mutual opponents, Iowa lost to Ohio State 35-7, beat Wisconsin 42-10, and lost to UCLA 20-17. 

On behalf of the Common Fan podcast, here are three keys to victory for the Huskers, and two keys to victory for all the fellow Common Fans. 

NEBRASKA’S KEYS TO VICTORY

Stop (or Slow Down) Kaleb Johnson. After having an atrocious offense last season, Iowa is back to being respectable on the offensive side of the ball, especially when it comes to the run game. The Hawkeyes boast the #13 rushing offense in the nation. Starter Kaleb Johnson has rushed for 1,492 yards and 21 touchdowns this season, averaging 6.7 yards per carry. He is legitimately one of the best backs in the country. What’s more, Iowa is on their fourth starting quarterback of the season. While there have been some rumblings this week that Cade McNamara and/or Brendan Sullivan–both of whom have started games under center this year–would play on Friday, it sounds like Jackson Stratton will be the guy. Stratton attempted a total of 14 passes last weekend against Maryland, completing 10 for 76 yards. Considering the strength of Nebraska’s defense has been stopping the run all season long, this matchup should favor the Huskers. But it’s Iowa, so who knows. If the Big Red can contain Iowa’s run game, I like their chances to win the game. 

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More of That Offense, Please. Iowa teams of recent years have been known for great defense. Not just great defense – they have had some elite defensive units. This year’s Hawkeye defense is perhaps not quite as dominant as what we’ve seen in recent years, but they’re still very good. They come into the game ranked #17 nationally in total defense, #12 in scoring defense, and #26 in rushing defense. They have been susceptible to giving up the big play, and currently rank #41 in opponent yards per play, after finishing the 2023 season at #1 in that category. 

What will we see out of Nebraska’s offensive unit this week? Are we going to see the squad that had its way with Wisconsin? Or will we see the unit that struggled to move the ball for most of the year? If new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen can sprinkle a little more magic on the Nebraska offense, perhaps they can get out to a lead and take Iowa out of their comfort zone. 

Make Special Teams Special. Another defining characteristic of Iowa teams in recent years has been outstanding special teams play. On the other side of the equation, all Common Fans know that Nebraska’s special teams play has struggled for most of this season. That said, against Wisconsin, Jacorey Barney had a 45 yard kickoff return to set up Nebraska’s first scoring drive, and place kicker John Hohl was 3-for-3 on field goals. Progress. 

Can someone make a game changing play against the Hawkeyes? Can the Huskers at least make sure special teams doesn’t hurt them on Friday? 

COMMON FAN KEYS

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Soak It In. This is painful to say, but it’s the first time in eight years that Nebraska will be playing Iowa with bowl eligibility already secured. Husker fans don’t have to hold our breath, stressing that the team’s postseason fate rides on this game. I’d love nothing more than to see the Big Red pick up where they left off against Wisconsin, come out and pummel the Hawkeyes. But whatever happens, this isn’t the end of the road for the Huskers. 

At least for me, the Iowa game has emerged as a great Thanksgiving weekend tradition. Iowa is the closest thing we have to a rival since joining the Big Ten. Embrace it. Enjoy it. We’re going bowling this year, no matter what happens against Iowa. So load up with some leftover turkey and mashed potatoes, maybe an extra piece of pie, and enjoy the ride, Husker fans.

Going to Kinnick? Common Fan Podcast co-host Matty O was in the house for the Wisconsin game, and after the win, pulled the trigger on tickets for the Black Friday battle against Iowa. He and his son will be making the trek to Iowa City on Friday. That’s the impact of beating the Badgers, getting to bowl eligibility, and starting to believe in this program again.

Are any other Common Fans out there going to be in the house? Hats off to anyone representing the Big Red in enemy territory. And, if you are going to be there on Friday, we’d love to hear from you. Send us an email to commonfangbr@gmail.com or hit us up on social media (@commonfangbr on X) to share your experience. Send pictures, stories, smart remarks…whatever you’ve got! Let’s go 1-0 this week and beat those Hawkeyes!

As always, GBR for LIFE.

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MORE: Nick Handley Show: Iowa Football Preview with the Des Moines Register’s Chad Leistikow

MORE: Nebraska Football Commit Christian Jones Makes Final Visit Before Signing

MORE: Nebraska Football Recruiting: Lamarcus Barber Recaps Visit, Names Huskers Top Choice

MORE: 2026 Wide Receiver Blaise LaVista Details Nebraska Football Recruiting Visit

MORE: 2027 OT Reece Mallinger Details Nebraska Football Visit

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.



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Iowa

Urquhart Sets Iowa’s Single-Season Aces Record at UCLA

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13 hours ago

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November 28, 2024

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LOS ANGELES – Senior Michelle Urquhart set Iowa’s single-season service aces record in the Hawkeyes’ 3-1 loss to UCLA on Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion. Iowa drops to 10-21 overall and 4-15 in the Big Ten.

Urquhart needed two aces to surpass the single-season rally scoring era record set by Becky Walters in 2010. With the third set tied at 10-10, Urquhart dropped in a soft serve to secure her 42nd ace on the season.

The senior from Virginia Beach, Virginia, also recorded a double-double, registering 13 kills and 12 digs. Freshman Dominique Phills and sophomore Hannah Whittingstall were in double-figures with 12 and 10 kills, respectively. Phills was a spark off the bench, drilling five kills in the opening set.

Senior libero Joy Galles notched a career high in digs, finishing with 24. She neared a double-double, tallying eight assists.

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MATCH SUMMARY
SET ONE (UCLA, 25-23)
After trading points early on, the Hawkeyes strung together three consecutive points to take a 5-3 lead, courtesy of a kill and ace from Urquhart. UCLA answered with a run, pushing ahead 13-8. Phills was a spark off the bench, helping Iowa pull within two on several occasions. The Hawkeyes rallied all the way back in the opener, tying the set at 23-23 before the Bruins capitalized on back-to-back kills to win the set. UCLA had only one attacking error in the first set, while Iowa had seven.

SET TWO (UCLA, 25-11)
Despite gaining momentum at the end of the first set, Iowa fell behind 9-1 to begin the second. A timeout slowed the Bruins’ progress, but they gained early control of the set. Iowa chipped away in the middle of the set on terminations from Phills and UCLA errors. UCLA ended the set on a 5-0 run.

SET THREE (IOWA, 25-23)
Iowa quickly regrouped for a competitive set in the third. A kill from Whittingstall and ace from freshman Jenna Meitzler kept the pressure on UCLA early. Urquhart notched her record-setting ace, breaking a 10-10 tie in the third set. The teams headed into the media timeout with UCLA leading, 15-14. It wasn’t until late in the set before Iowa pulled away, using a 3-0 run to go up by two at 20-18, courtesy of kills from freshman Malu Garcia and Phills. After a UCLA timeout fueled back-to-back points for the Bruins, Iowa sealed the set with a kill from Whittingstall and error from UCLA.

SET FOUR (UCLA, 25-15)
UCLA recovered and regained momentum, leading 6-2 to begin set four. A pair of kills from Urquhart and a termination from Garcia brought Iowa back within one at 7-6. The Hawkeyes stayed within striking distance but could not take the lead in the set. The Bruins used a run in the middle of the set to take control. A block from senior Anna Davis and Garcia stopped the run at 19-13. UCLA finished the set on a 5-1 run to win the match.

UP NEXT: Iowa heads across town for its season finale, battling No. 20 USC on Friday evening. First serve is set for 9 p.m. (CT) from the Galen Center. The match will be broadcast on B1G+ and the Hawkeye Radio Network.





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Iowa Legend Sends Strong Message In Midst of Brutal Season

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20 hours ago

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November 27, 2024

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Iowa Legend Sends Strong Message In Midst of Brutal Season


Former Iowa Hawkeyes star George Kittle is in the midst of what has to be the most trying season of his NFL career.

Kittle’s San Francisco 49ers—who were Super Bowl contenders heading into 2024—fell to just 5-6 with their loss to the Green Bay Packer this past Sunday, further hindering their playoff chances.

However, the tight end is not giving up hope in the midst of severe adversity.

“My optimism is not broken by any means,” Kittle told reporters. “We still have a lot of very talented players. We will get some guys back. And I still have full trust in the coaching staff to put our guys in position to make plays, and I got no worry about that. But definitely an uphill grind, and going to see what we’re made of, which I’m looking forward to.”

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You have to love Kittle’s fighting spirit, but it seems hard to imagine the 49ers righting the ship in their current predicament.

San Francisco is dealing with a plethora of injury issues up and down the roster, which includes quarterback Brock Purdy, who missed the Packers game with a shoulder problem.

Kittle himself had a strong performance in Week 12, logging six catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. He has also been his usual impressive self overall this season, totaling 49 receptions for 642 yards and eight scores in nine appearances.

But not even Kittle can save the Niners from all of their current troubles.

The 49ers will face the Buffalo Bills in a matchup that could ultimately decide their playoff fate this Sunday.

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