Iowa roared back from 16 down in the second half, but missed three open triples at the buzzer that would've tied the game.
After an emotional win over UCLA, Iowa got a reality check on Tuesday night, falling 70-67 to Minnesota at Williams Arena.
Bennett Stirtz came back from a rough first half to record a team-high 21 points and two assists, while Kael Combs added 14. Iowa drops to 12-3 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten play.
Minnesota came into this game with an unblemished home record (8-0), and it played like it early. Iowa had trouble generating any open looks on offense, with the lone bucket coming via a three-pointer from Kael Combs. In fact, that was the Hawkeyes' lone field goal until the 12:57 mark, when Isaia Howard scored a tough layup to end a six-minute scoring drought.
Big Ten Network analyst Shon Morris mentioned it multiple times on the broadcast, but the game seemed to shift at the 13:04 mark. Howard badly missed his three-point attempt, and the officials stopped play to see if the ball had in fact hit the rim. Iowa would've retained possession due to the offensive rebound, but the stoppage allowed Ben McCollum to get an extra timeout, and his Hawkeyes responded with a couple of quick buckets to get back in the contest.
Iowa continued the surge to the defensive end of the floor, flustering Minnesota with aggressive face guarding and active hands. A Combs driving layup at the 7:12 mark gave the Hawkeyes their first lead since Combs' triple to begin the game, and the Gophers called timeout.
Whatever coach Niko Medved said in that timeout must've worked, as Minnesota responded by going on a 9-0 run to take a five-point lead late in the half. Stirtz battled foul trouble for most of the half, but he wasn't effective when he played, missing his first five shots.
The Gopher run extended to 12-0 before Combs quieted the crowd with a layup, but a late bucket by Tate Sage could only close Minnesota's lead to seven, 31-24, at the break. Iowa's two leading scorers - Stirtz and Alvaro Folguieras - were held without a single point in the frame, and the Hawkeyes shot just 22 percent from deep (37% FG). Two major scoring droughts of over 4.5 minutes also were a major factor in the Gophers' lead.
SECOND HALF
Iowa missed three open layups to begin the second half, which allowed Minnesota to build its largest lead of 11 points early on. The Hawkeyes stayed close thanks to some tenacious defense, but the lack of an outside shooting threat hurt their chances of staying within striking distance.
A key play in the half came at the 11:25 mark. Trailing 42-36, Iowa forced a turnover on the other end, but Tavion Banks missed a contested layup in transition. The Gophers responded by converting an and-one on their ensuing possession, making this a crucial four-point swing that went Minnesota's way.
The Gophers continued to maintain a double-digit lead for most of the second half, but Iowa still had one final run left in the tank. Brendan Hausen, who didn't play a single second in the win over UCLA on Saturday, was inserted into the game to provide some offense. That didn't come right away, but his mere presence allowed the Hawkeyes to cut the lead down to just 60-54 with 3:32 to play.
Stirtz and Hausen both hit triples to bring the lead down to just one, and Cooper Koch gave Iowa the lead after a Minnesota turnover, delighting the Iowa-heavy crowd at Williams Arena. The Gophers responded with a rare three-pointer on the other end, and suddenly went up by four after knocking down a pair of free throws.
Minnesota extended its lead to three after two more foul shots, leaving time for one final chance to tie it. The Hawkeyes had three open looks - two from Stirtz and one from Hausen - but couldn't get any to fall.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes return to action this Sunday, Jan. 11, for a matchup against No. 16 Illinois at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Fighting Illini are 11-3 overall and 2-1 in league play and have a matchup at bottom-feeder Rutgers on Thursday night before heading to Iowa City.
Tip off is set for 11 a.m. CST on FOX.