Iowa’s comeback bid against Tennessee falls short

The Hawkeyes mounted a massive comeback but fell to No. 2 seed Tennessee.

Iowa+forward+Luka+Garza+waits+for+a+free-throw+during+the+NCAA+game+against+Cincinnati+at+Nationwide+Arena+on+Friday+March+22%2C+2019.+The+Hawkeyes+defeated+the+Bearcats+79-72.

Katina Zentz

Iowa forward Luka Garza waits for a free-throw during the NCAA game against Cincinnati at Nationwide Arena on Friday March 22, 2019. The Hawkeyes defeated the Bearcats 79-72.

Pete Ruden, Sports Editor

Iowa put Tennessee on upset alert after a colossal second-half comeback but fell short to the Volunteers in overtime, 83-77.

Iowa trailed 49-28 at halftime, but thanks to a renewed aggressiveness, solid defense, and stellar shooting, it found a way to take the game to an extra period. The Hawkeyes outscored the Volunteers in the second half, 43-22.

After a scoreless first half on 0-of-5 shooting, Tyler Cook dropped 11 points in the final 20 minutes and overtime. Jordan Bohannon, who became Iowa’s all-time leader in 3-point field goals in the first half, complemented him on the outside with 16 points, and Isaiah Moss recorded 16 of his own.

Luka Garza posted a 13-point, 4-rebound performance, and Joe Wieskamp also scored 11.

Iowa only shot 32 percent from the field in the first half but raised that mark to 40 by the game’s end as all Hawkeye starters scored in double digits.

Admiral Schofield led the way for the Vols, dropping 19 points, including 17 in the first half. Grant Williams served as a perfect complement inside, scoring another 19 with 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Williams did a good chunk of his damage in overtime, as Tennessee outscored Iowa 12-6 in the extra period.

Tennessee shot more consistent than Iowa throughout the game as a whole, shooting 47 percent on the day.