Hawkeyes Fall to Gophers
January 27, 2019
The University of Minnesota men’s basketball team built a 16-point lead over Iowa, then held on for a 92-87 win before 11,582 spectators (most of them Gopher fans) at Williams Arena on January 27.
The Gophers used 66 percent shooting accuracy to race to a 55-46 at halftime but cooled down in the second period and were outscored 41-37 by the stubborn Hawkeyes. Iowa only led once in the game.
For the game, Minnesota had an 18-13 lead in fast-break baskets and held Iowa guards (Joe Weiskamp and Jordan Bohannon) to three total points for the game.
Jordan Murphy and Amir Coffey led the Gophers with 23 points each, and Murphy hauled down 11 rebounds to become the second highest (to Jerry Lucas) rebounder of all time in the Big 10. Murphy, however, could not stop Iowa big man Luka Garza from scoring 25 points. Minnesota was hampered by the loss through injury of starting center Daniel Oturu.
“We shared the ball,” said Minnesota coach Richard Pitino, “and spaced the floor well. Defensively, we did a great job on Iowa’s guards.”
With Oturu out to a shoulder injury, Minnesota faced a dilemma when it came to defending the Hawkeyes’ big men Garza and Tyler Cook.
“You have to always play two big men when you face Iowa,” Pitino said. He had one in Murphy, but relied on Eric Curry and Mats Stockman to alternate as the other.
“Mats was terrific,” Pitino said when referencing the seldom-used 6-10 senior from Norway. “He gave us some really good minutes out there. I think its something for him to grow and capitalize on. As for Eric [Curry], his ability to step up when Daniel [Oturu] is not in there was really cool to see.”
A flustered Iowa coach Fran McCaffery briefly spoke to the media after the game and remarked that Minnesota excelled at “getting the ball into their good players.” The coach indicated that his big men constantly had to “fight Minnesota on the glass.” Iowa out rebounded the Gophers 34-26.
When Coffey hit a three-point basket with 5:33 showing on the clock for an 81-66 lead, it looked like the Gophers were home free, but such was not the case. The Hawks went on a furious 14-3 run helped by five missed Gopher free throws, and it was 84-80 with 1:34 showing on the clock, but that was as close as Iowa was to get.