By Blake Dowson
Peter Jok had never beaten the Cyclones. Now, Jordan Bohannon has never lost to them, after Iowa defeated Iowa State, 78-64, in Carver-Hawkeye on Dec. 8.
Jok was in control the entire game, the lone senior playing for the Hawkeyes. Bohannon had his struggles, matched up against All-American Monte Morris.
Their stat lines couldn’t be much different, but both were critical in the upset.
The senior ended up with 23 points to lead all scorers. The freshman had a modest 8 points to go along with 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 turnovers.
“Jordan is a really good player,” Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery said. “He’s as tough a guy as I’ve seen. He’s not going to be afraid, he’s not going to back down, he knows what he can do … he’s going to keep getting better.”
Jok was consistent throughout the game; 14 points in the first half, 9 in the second. He hit two 3-pointers in each half.
Bohannon hit from deep two minutes into the game and didn’t score for around 30 minutes after that.
With 5:55 left in the game, Bohannon reintroduced himself to the scoring column — and it ended up being the biggest shot of the game.
The Cyclones had cut the lead from 15 to 12, then from 12 all the way down to 7.
A similar collapse occurred last year in Ames. The Hawkeyes took a 14-point lead into halftime, only to see it fade away when the Cyclones went on a run.
But on Thursday, Bohannon rose up, with his feet almost touching Herky’s beak, and sunk a shot to move the lead to 10. Iowa didn’t look back.
“I really wasn’t thinking much,” Bohannon said. “I knew I was open, and I let it go. Coach McCaffery wants me to take those shots when I’m open, and I’ve been shooting those shots most of my life. It was nothing new to me.”
It was new to Jok, though. To finally pull away from the Cyclones after two close losses in Ames and one brutal blowout at home, the victory is satisfying.
To do it with his team on his back was even better. Jok said he did it for his team, though his teammates would say they did it for him.
“I’m really happy for the team more than anything,” Jok said. “Nobody in the country thought we were going to win tonight, except for us. We were really dialed in, got everything together tonight on the defensive end.”
Jok benefited from the play of freshman Isaiah Moss, who had a career game.
It wasn’t that Moss carried the load offensively — he scored 14 points against the Cyclones, three days after scoring 21 against Stetson.
It was the timing of his baskets, especially in the second half. He had an offensive rebound and put-back with just under four minutes to play that put Iowa up 14, and he converted an and-one with one minute left to put Iowa up 11.
It was a team effort for Iowa, and that’s what made it so fun, McCaffery said.
Maybe this team isn’t as talented as previous Hawkeye squads. But this group has endeared itself to the head coach.
“I’ve been saying from the beginning; I really like this team,” McCaffery said. “I really like this group. It’s going to be an interesting journey. It’s not going to be smooth. But to see them enjoy a victory like this … that’s what it’s all about.”
