News, Weather and Sports for Sioux City, IA: KCAU-TV.comIowa Men Hang on at Minnesota

Iowa Men Hang on at Minnesota

    MINNEAPOLIS (AP)

    Matt Gatens had 19 points, six rebounds and
three steals to lead Iowa's second-half surge past Minnesota for a
64-62 victory on Wednesday night.
    Maverick Ahanmisi's runner from the edge of the lane in traffic
bounced off the other side of the rim as the buzzer sounded, giving
the Hawkeyes (10-6, 2-1) their first back-to-back Big Ten road wins
in five seasons. Fueled by a head-turning victory at then-No. 11
Wisconsin last weekend, the Hawkeyes fought back from an 11-point
deficit late in the first half.
    They nearly blew it after an impressive rally, watching an
seven-point lead inside the 60-second mark shrink to two after
Ralph Sampson III picked up a loose ball off his own missed free
throw and made a layup to cut the lead to two with 8 seconds left.
    Roy Marble was fouled and missed both free throws, giving the
Gophers (12-4, 0-3) one more chance.
    Zach McCabe pitched in 12 points and Aaron White added 10 for
the Hawkeyes, who ended a six-game losing streak to the Gophers,
who have lost nine straight Big Ten games dating to their slide
last year that pushed them out of postseason tournament
consideration.
    Julian Welch swished a 3-point shot a few seconds before the
four-minute mark and another one from the corner with 32.9 seconds
left, each time pulling the Gophers within four points, but they
couldn't make enough shots when they needed to climb back in front.
Minnesota finished 4 for 23 from 3-point range.
    Welch had 14 points.
    Iowa is coming off a fourth straight losing season, the longest
such streak in program history. But the Hawkeyes _ despite five
nonconference losses by 10 points or more _ put an early
exclamation point on this season with their win at the Badgers'
boisterous home court.
    With a combined 3-22 on the road over the last two seasons,
coach Fran McCaffrey's team badly needed this kind of
confidence-building victory. Up next for Iowa is a home game
against No. 6 Ohio State, then a trip to No. 10 Michigan State,
followed by a visit from No. 16 Michigan.
    Melsahn Basabe went scoreless for Iowa after putting up 14
points in each of the last four games, but the Hawkeyes had enough
balance to improve to 7-0 when holding opponents this season to 68
points or fewer. The last time Iowa beat Minnesota was here at
Williams Arena, nearly five years ago.
    When the Gophers lost power forward Trevor Mbakwe to a
season-ending knee injury over Thanksgiving weekend, they didn't
just lose their emotional leader. They lost the Big Ten's best
rebounder, and despite a spirited effort on the road last week,
they lost in double overtime at Illinois and by five points at
Michigan while being beaten on the boards in both games.
    They were stronger around the basket this time, and their guards
used their jumping ability to tip balls back to their teammates and
keep key possessions alive. In the first half, at least, they used
their superior athleticism and quick hands to turn steals into fast
breaks _ their greatest strength. They took a 32-21 advantage after
Austin Hollins converted a layup off a transition opportunity,
prompting a Hawkeyes timeout with 5:06 remaining before the break.
    But Gatens, who had only six points against Wisconsin, closed
the half with a pair of 3-pointers, and continued sloppiness by the
home team helped Iowa ride a 23-6 run that bridged the intermission
and built a lead that was never relinquished.
    Williams netted a short jump shot to start the second-half
scoring, the first points by the Gophers in a span of seven-plus
minutes. But Gatens kept the Hawkeyes going with seven points in a
span of just more than two minutes, and the Gophers started
experiencing serious trouble with their half-court offense. The
Hawkeyes tightened up their defense in the paint and around the
perimeter, and on many possessions all the Gophers could do was
settle for a 3-pointer on the wing after a helter-skelter series of
frantic expressions and frustrated passes.