Iowa
Kris Murray gets career-high 30 points as Hawkeyes beat Omaha, 100-64
Iowa ahead Kris Murray (24) shoots in the course of the Hawkeyes’ XXXXX win over Omaha Monday evening at Carver-Hawkeye Enviornment. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)
IOWA CITY — Sequels typically are watered-down variations of the originals.
That actually just isn’t the case with “The Murray Present,” which once more is taking part in to rave evaluations with Iowa males’s basketball observers.
Final season, in fact, Keegan Murray was an All-America ahead who averaged 23.5 factors for a Hawkeyes workforce that went 26-10. He had averaged 7.2 factors the season earlier than.
Keegan left for the Sacramento Kings final spring. Kris Murray, stayed. He has grabbed the torch from his twin brother, and is torching opponents to date this season.
Murray had a career-high 30 factors Monday evening in No. 25 Iowa’s 100-64 win over the Omaha Mavericks. That places his scoring common at 23.8, after he averaged 9.7 final season. He has 59 factors in his final two video games for the 4-0 Hawkeyes.
Murray had his first shot of the sport blocked.
“Yeah, I used to be form of mad,” he mentioned. “I don’t suppose I missed a shot until the final one (of the primary half).”
Appropriate. He made 11 straight makes an attempt together with three 3-pointers for a 25-point first-half, which ended with Iowa up 49-28. That was after a sluggish begin for the Hawkeyes, who led simply 10-9 within the seventh minute.
“We weren’t getting straightforward baskets early,” Iowa ahead Patrick McCaffery mentioned, “after which Kris acquired a few hundred of them. From then on, we had been form of rolling.”
Murray’s first-half efficiency eclipsed the 24 first-half markers Keegan Murray had towards Nebraska final Feb. 13. He was taken out of the sport with 8:40 left, so Kris nonetheless has Keegan’s career-high 37 to chase.
“I might have left him in there and he might actually have gone for a giant quantity,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery mentioned. “However we’re not going to perform something. I’m not going to get him harm. I acquired him out of there.”
Murray was named to the All-Massive Ten preseason workforce, however this was nonetheless a participant with one profession begin getting into the season. Dwelling as much as his brother’s 2021-22 accomplishments could be a burden for a lot of. Murray appears to be shouldering it simply nice.
“I feel folks get into evaluating us so much,” he mentioned. “and he undoubtedly had an excellent season final yr. It could be straightforward to simply form of fall into his shadow, I assume, however I do know I’m not the identical individual as him. I’m doing my very own factor at Iowa, attempting to take this workforce so far as I can.
“I feel we’re two totally different gamers, two totally different folks, and I assume it simply provides me just a little extra motivation to form of do what he did and just a little bit extra.”
No Murray is an island. Iowa made a dozen 3-pointers in 26 tries in rolling away. Patrick McCaffery scored the workforce’s first seven factors of the second half, and had 16 factors and three steals. Connor McCaffery had a season-high 12 factors and 4 assists.
Junior level guard Ahron Ulis, making his first profession begin as a result of Tony Perkins was held out with a thigh harm, made his first two 3-pointers of the yr, and had 4 assists.
“It was a giant alternative for me,” Ulis mentioned. “I’ve been attempting to begin my entire life. It’s a dream come true for most individuals rising up and I simply went on the market and took that chance and ran with it.”
“He’s prepared for that,” Fran McCaffery mentioned. “He performed like a veteran. … He was terrific.”
Freshman guard Josh Dix made three 3-pointers for 9 factors, and freshman guard Dasonte Bowen had 7 factors. These had been career-highs for each.
Dylan Broughan, who had the early swat on Murray, had six blocks. His workforce fell to 1-4. On Nov. 7, the Mavericks trailed Kansas by 13 factors at halftime in Lawrence and misplaced, 89-64.
They now play six straight video games towards groups from Energy 5 conferences, beginning with a conflict with Clemson Friday in a event in Niceville, Fla.
Then, it’s both TCU or California Saturday in Niceville, Georgia Tech in Iowa Metropolis subsequent Tuesday, Duke in New York, and Iowa State and Wisconsin in Carver.
Fran McCaffery doesn’t know if Perkins (averaging 13.3 factors and 5.3 assists) could be good to go this weekend, saying “I’d suppose, however he’s harm. I feel it’s occurred over time.”
The Iowa-Clemson recreation is Friday at 6 p.m. (CT) on CBS Sports activities Community. Clemson (4-1) defeated Loyola (Md.) Monday, 72-41.
Feedback: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com
Iowa
Urquhart Sets Iowa’s Single-Season Aces Record at UCLA
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.
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.
Mickey’s record-setting ace! 💛#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/PlUu17YR2R
— Iowa Volleyball (@IowaVolleyball) November 28, 2024
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗰𝗲𝘀 👑
With Michelle’s second ace tonight, she has set the program record for service aces in a season during the rally scoring era (42).#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/fimM7XstTc
— Iowa Volleyball (@IowaVolleyball) November 28, 2024
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.
Iowa
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.”
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.
Iowa
No. 17 Iowa State tries to keep focus on Kansas State, not the many Big 12 title game scenarios
No. 17 Iowa State goes into its home game against Kansas State on Saturday night as one of the Big 12 teams with the highest probability of making it to the conference championship game next week.
That calculation comes from conference officials putting pencil to paper to figure out all the scenarios that could unfold on the final weekend of the regular season.
Cyclones coach Matt Campbell said his team just needs to worry about itself and not the myriad of possibilities that could determine the matchup for next week’s Big 12 title game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“To me,” he said, “all that other stuff is wasted time, effort and energy.”
If the Cyclones (9-2, 6-2, No. 18 CFP) beat the Wildcats (8-3, 5-3, No. 24 CFP), they probably would be in. Arizona State would be the likely opponent if the Sun Devils win at Arizona.
So much would have to align for the Wildcats to advance — starting with beating Iowa State — that coach Chris Klieman said he didn’t plan to address the possibilities with his players. He said he wouldn’t have to anyway.
“The kids know,” he said.
Going for 10
The Cyclones are trying to become the first team in the program’s 133-year history to win 10 regular-season games. Wildcats’ tight end Will Swanson said he wasn’t aware of the 10-win milestone until a reporter told him. He indicated he and his teammates would like to keep the Cyclones from achieving it.
“I’ll probably have to mention that,” he said, laughing.
Up and running
K-State quarterback Avery Johnson appears to be back to his old self. The staff tried to reduce his rushing attempts after he was injured Oct. 12 at Colorado. There were no limitations on him in last week’s 41-15 win over Cincinnati. He ran 10 times for 70 yards, including a 33-yard burst and a 21-yard touchdown.
“People saw when he’s healthy, we’re really good on offense,” Klieman said.
Cold, but no snow
Temperatures are expected to be in the teens in Ames, but no snow is in the forecast. Heavy snow fell during last year’s game in Manhattan, Kansas. Abu Sama III ran for 276 yards and three touchdowns and the Cyclones’ defense made a fourth-down stop in the final minute to preserve a 42-35 victory.
“I just remember the snow and Abu running wild,” ISU receiver Jayden Higgins said. “There definitely was a lot of snow on the field.”
K-State’s Swanson said the game reminded him of a backyard football game but that it “panned out terribly.”
“Some spots there were 6 inches of snow,” he said. “I remember I caught a ball and I got tackled. I was face-first in the ground and had a pound of snow between my face and my facemask.”
Injury update
Klieman said RB Dylan Edwards could return against the Cyclones after sustaining a no-contact leg injury two weeks ago against Arizona State.
Campbell said S Drew Surges will be available and DT J.R. Singleton and TE Ben Brahmer are on track to play.
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