A simple turnaround shot hit the backboard and not much else. Watching his attempt clang off the glass, Iowa men’s basketball’s Payton Sandfort – eyes wide and mouth agape – immediately put a hand on his head, believing he was fouled. Yet no whistle justified his mistake.
Grabbing the blond strands on his head in an act of exasperation and futility, Sandfort walked to the sideline, incredulous at what unfolded. Shots weren’t finding the rim or net on Tuesday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, as the Hawkeyes scored a season-low 67 points in a five-point loss to Big Ten bottom-feeder Minnesota, who topped Iowa on the road for the first time since 2015 and earned its second conference win of the season.
A late 13-point comeback put Iowa within three points with 30 seconds remaining as Minnesota failed to convert a field goal for more than four minutes. With 10 ticks to go, Iowa sophomore Seydou Traore missed the front end of a one-and-one and Minnesota’s Femi Odukale secured the rebound. The Gopher forward was instantly fouled. A career 53 percent shooter from the free-throw line, the senior connected on both his attempts to put the game on ice and hand the Hawkeyes their third consecutive defeat and drop them to 12-7 overall and 3-5 in Big Ten play.
Connecting on just 3-of-21 attempts from beyond the arc, Iowa relied on scoring from inside, notching 48 points in the paint. Second-year center Owen Freeman led the home team with 21 points on 10-of-14 shooting and delivered multiple key baskets down the stretch to get Iowa within striking distance.
While the late surge made the final score appear close, the Gophers led the contest for all but 25 seconds, using a 12-4 run to open the second half to get ahead by as many as 17. Senior forward Dawson Garcia led the visitors with 20 points as one of nine Gophers to record a basket. The team shot 41.4 percent from the field – worse than Iowa’s 45.9 mark. The Hawkeyes entered the contest with the Big Ten lead in the category at 50.8 percent.
Meanwhile the Hawkeyes had two players in double figures – Sandfort and Freeman – and only five scorers total. Guards Drew Thelwell, Josh Dix, and Brock Harding scored a combined 14 points on 6-of-17 shooting while contributing 14 assists.
With outdoor temperatures hovering around three degrees at tip off, the Hawkeyes’ normally hot shooting froze. Basketballs may as well have been blocks of ice as Iowa started the contest 4-of-12 from the floor. Layups slipped off the rim and a triple attempt missed the rim entirely as the Gophers took a 19-10 lead.
Despite not connecting on any of its seven three-point attempts in the first half, Iowa erased the early deficit with a strong paint presence. Freeman and Harding flashed back to their days as Moline High School teammates with a pair of lobs from beyond the arc as Iowa cut the visitors’ lead to two.
The Gophers took advantage of 20 rebounds and 11 second-chance points in the first half to maintain a four-point advantage at the break with a buzzer-beating layup from Garcia. Minnesota shot 39 percent from the field compared to Iowa’s 46 percent in the first half. Iowa’s 28 first-half points were its second-fewest this season, trailing only its last outing against UCLA on Jan. 17.
Cheerleading Accident
Late in the second half, an Iowa male cheerleader fell on the hardwood during a backflip routine during a timeout. He appeared to hit his head on the floor and laid in a prone position for multiple minutes as first responders tended to the scene. He was eventually carted off on a stretcher with his head and neck area stabilized. On his way out of the arena, he gave a thumbs up to the cheering crowd.
Up Next
Iowa hosts Penn State for a Friday night matchup at Carver Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 24. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. The Nittany Lions are 13-6 overall and 3-5 in Big Ten play, sitting in 12th place in the conference. Head coach Mike Rhoades’ squad are coming off an 80-72 win over Rutgers but have dropped four of their last five contests.
Penn State ranks fourth in the Big Ten in scoring but 13th in opponent points per game. Senior guard Ace Baldwin Jr. leads the team in scoring, assists, and steals.