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Iowa rallies, but falls at Indiana

On3 imageby:Tom Kakert•01/30/24•

HawkeyeReport

Owen Freeman
Owen Freeman and the Hawkeyes fell at Indiana.

The Iowa basketball team dug themselves a significant hole in the first half. They almost got completely out of it, but Indiana closed on an 8-0 to finish the game in a 74-68 win for the Hoosiers in Bloomington.

With the loss, Iowa falls to 12-9 on the season and 4-6 in Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes were paced by Payton Sanfort, who matched his career high for the second straight game, scoring 26 points. Tony Perkins was right behind Sandfort with 22 points.

In the first half it looked the Hoosiers were headed to a blowout win over the Hawkeyes.  Mackenzie Mgbako hit back to back three’s on Indiana possessions to give them an 8-5 edge. Xavier Johnson scored on back to back drives to push the lead to six and then Kel’el Ware slammed home a dunk for a 15-7 lead.

Josh Dix hit a three and Payton Sandfort hit his second of what would be five three point field goals to pull Iowa within four, 19-15. Then Iowa went ice cold, going nearly seven minutes without a point and eight without a field goal. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers got hot from the floor. Little used reserve Anthony Leal, who came into the game having played in just eight games this season and averaging 1.8 points per game, knocked down back to back triples. After a Ware free throw, the Hoosiers were up 31-15.

Mgbako knocked down a jumper and Ware laid in a shot to put the lead to 17 at 39-22, before the Hawkeyes closed the half on a 6-0 run to give them some life.

Iowa was hanging around early in the second half and then Sandfort knocked down back to back threes and Perkins started his scoring binge in the second half to fuel a 9-0 run and Iowa was within three at 44-41. Indiana scored five in a row before Iowa went on an 8-0 run tie the contest on an old fashioned three point play by Perkins.

The Hawkeyes took their first lead since 3-2 when Josh Dix hit a driving layup and was fouled and completed the three point play to put Iowa up 54-53 with 8:43 left in the game.

Both teams traded buckets from that point forward. Ware had a putback on a second chance bucket and then a pair of foul shots to go up 64-60. Perkins put Iowa up two with a basket on a goal tend and foul. Trey Galloway knocked down a pair of foul shots to tie it again at 66.

Fran McCaffery drew up a great inbounds play with two second left on the shot clock and Patrick McCaffery found Sandfort for a two point shot in the opposite corner to give Iowa a 68-66 lead. From there, Indiana went on an 8-0 run to close the game. Gabe Cupps drilled a huge three point field goal and the Hoosiers recovered a miss and Ware dunked it to essentially put the game out of reach.

Next up for the Hawkeyes is a game against Ohio State on Friday evening at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

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