Nov. 2, 2003
Purchase your 2003-04 Iowa men’s basketball tickets online
Saturday, Nov. 1, marked the unofficial official start of the college basketball season at the University of Iowa with the staging of the 2003 Black and Gold Basketball Blowout. It also marked the return to the floor of Carver-Hawkeye Arena for Pierre Pierce, Iowa’s sophomore guard who was red-shirted last year after pleading guilty to a charge of assault causing injury.
Pierce responded to his return with a game-high 31 points. The 6,000 or so fans who attended this year’s Blowout responded with applause upon his introduction and more applause with the play of Coach Steve Alford’s 2003-04 squad.
Pierce’s Gold team won the game 95-79. In addition to Pierce’s total, the Gold received 22 points from senior point guard Broad Boyd and another 12 from sophomore Greg Brunner and 11 from freshman Mike Henderson. Brunner paced the winners with nine rebounds.
Red-shirt transfer Adam Haluska led the Black team with 23 points. Jared Reiner chipped in 19 points and a game-high 16 rebounds.
“The behind-the-back and off-the-backboard passes are, I think, for the Blowout crowd,” Alford said of Pierce’s play in the Blowout. “I know there was a lot of excitement just knowing he was out on the floor.”
Iowa returns to action Nov. 11 with the 2003 Miracle Game against EA Sports. Tickets for that game and all games on Iowa’s 2003-04 home schedule are on sale.