Go Iowa Awesome – Iowa 76, Rutgers 65

Iowa adopted up an exhilarating comeback win over #15 Indiana at dwelling on Thursday evening with a formidable highway win over a red-hot Rutgers crew, 76-65. The Hawkeyes led the Scarlet Knights wire-to-wire, the primary time Rutgers has trailed your complete time in a house sport in 5 years. In a welcome change from latest video games (when Iowa began sluggish and located themselves in big early deficits), Iowa began quick immediately — and by no means regarded again.

Iowa led 8-0 earlier than Rutgers received their first factors of the sport. After Rutgers scored 5 factors to get on the board and eat into Iowa’s lead, the Hawkeyes responded with an 11-4 run to get the result in 10 factors at 19-9. The lead stayed round 8-12 factors in favor of Iowa for a lot of the rest of the primary half, till a short Rutgers run reduce the result in 4 factors, 34-30, with just below 4 minutes to go within the half. Worse, Kris Murray had simply picked up his second foul and was headed to the bench. It regarded like Iowa’s management of the sport was slipping away — so, naturally, they went on an 8-0 run to finish the half and went into halftime up 42-30.

To place into context how outstanding that was:

* Iowa scored 46 factors in your complete GAME at Rutgers final season; they scored 42 factors within the first HALF this yr.

* Solely three opponents had scored greater than 50 factors towards Rutgers at Jersey Mike’s Enviornment this season.

* Rutgers entered immediately permitting simply 55 factors per sport to opponents.

Iowa constructed that first half lead with sturdy capturing (51.6% from the ground), together with going 5/13 (38%) from behind the three-point arc. In addition they restricted turnovers fairly nicely (simply 7, or 19% of their possessions) and saved Rutgers off the glass pretty nicely. Iowa’s protection, primarily based round a 2-3 zone setup, precipitated issues for Rutgers as nicely — they ended up settling for lots of soar pictures (which they principally missed). Rutgers was additionally uncharacteristically unhealthy at ending across the rim (we are able to sympathize after Iowa’s video games towards Nebraska and Penn State per week in the past) and Iowa was capable of take benefit.

Iowa began sturdy within the second half as nicely, utilizing a 12-6 run to open up an 18-point lead on Rutgers simply 5 minutes into the half. Sadly, Iowa’s offense went within the deep freeze for some time at that time — Rutgers outscored Iowa 14-1 over the following 6:30 of sport time as Iowa stopped making pictures and began turning the ball over incessantly towards a Rutgers protection that ramped up the strain (and benefited from a really let-them-play angle from the officers). After Rutgers reduce Iowa’s result in 5 factors with just below 9 minutes remaining, all of the momentum appeared to be in favor of the Scarlet Knights.

After which Payton Sandfort took over. Sandfort scored Iowa’s subsequent 11 factors on 4/4 capturing (3/3 from deep) over the following 4 minutes, serving to Iowa not simply keep its lead, however develop it (to 66-55 with 5 minutes to play). Iowa followers have waited some time to see this model of Sandfort present up in an Iowa sport and it was a pleasure see him firing away and draining pictures everywhere in the court docket on this sport. Regardless of his horrific capturing droop earlier this season, Sandfort is an effective shooter and it was nice to see that come by means of in a sport, particularly one through which Iowa badly wanted scoring from somebody aside from Kris Murray or Filip Rebraca.

A Connor McCaffery three-pointer gave Iowa a 69-57 lead with 4 minutes to play. Rutgers had one other run in them and reduce Iowa’s result in six with a minute remaining, however Iowa went 5/7 on the free throw line down the stretch, together with 3/4 from Sandfort to ice the victory.

The star of the sport was, in fact, Payton Sandfort. He completed with 22 factors on 6/8 capturing from the ground (4/5 from 3-point vary) and 6/7 capturing on the free throw line. 14 of his 22 factors got here within the second half; when Iowa was in search of factors from anybody in a black jersey, he stepped up and answered the decision. He additionally had 5 rebounds, a steal, a block, and an help in 22 minutes — if he can proceed his type from the previous few video games, he is usually a much-needed sparkplug for Iowa off the bench.

Rebraca was additionally superb on this sport, recording his seventh double-double of the season with 16 factors and 12 rebounds. He had just a little hassle ending towards Rutgers’ size (he was simply 5/12 from the ground) however he saved attacking and located methods to assist Iowa even when his shot wasn’t falling (6/9 on the free throw line, 3 blocks on protection). He additionally managed to play the complete 40 minutes, which is big for an Iowa crew that is very skinny in publish gamers.

Murray had a quiet sport by his latest requirements, however nonetheless completed with 17 factors and seven rebounds on 7/11 capturing. It is also good to see that Iowa can win a Massive Ten sport with no need Murray to blow up for 30+ video games. Ahron Ulis had ups and downs towards Rutgers — he was just a little too unfastened with the ball (4 turnovers) and shot simply 2/8 from the sphere — however the two pictures he did make have been large and he additionally made two key free throws late. His +11 in plus/minus was additionally tied for finest on the crew. Connor McCaffery had solely 6 factors (2/6 capturing), however he was again to being an ace distributor, with 8 assists towards one turnover. He additionally regarded a bit shaken up after a scary collision late within the sport, however hopefully it was nothing critical.

A 3-game shedding streak to Japanese Illinois, Nebraska, and Penn State dealt a reasonably large blow to Iowa’s NCAA Event aspirations — and dropped them to 8-6 on the season and 0-3 within the Massive Ten. Nicely, now they’re 11-6 on the season, 2-3 within the Massive Ten and so they’re coming off a house win over a AP Prime 15 Indiana crew and a highway win over a Rutgers crew ranked within the Prime 15 of the NET rankings. We’ll must see how the remainder of the season shakes out, but it surely definitely seems like these are two wins that ought to maintain up nicely for Iowa when March rolls round. Now Iowa returns dwelling for 3 straight dwelling video games towards Michigan, Maryland, and Northwestern, extra alternatives so as to add to the W column and strengthen that potential postseason resume. Iowa nonetheless has a number of work to do, however the final two video games have been an excellent begin.

Iowa heads again to Iowa Metropolis to welcome Michigan to Carver-Hawkeye Enviornment on Thursday, January 12 (6:00 PM CT, ESPN2). The Wolverines are 9-6 general and 3-1 in Massive Ten motion, coming off a 59-53 loss to Michigan State yesterday.