Nov. 21, 2006
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IOWA CITY — Look at it. Examine it. Replay it. Any way you look at it – Iowa’s game Tuesday night against Louisiana Tech – it wasn’t pretty.
Coach Lisa Bluder’s Hawkeyes shot just 36 percent from the field, hitting only 21 of 58 attempts and only three of 14 tries from behind the arc. The Hawkeyes committed a season-high 19 turnovers while forcing only 11. Iowa was was whistled for 20 personal fouls – some which drew the ire of Bluder – and two Hawkeyes – floor leaders Megan Skouby and Kristi Smith – fouled out.
Meanwhile, the visitors blistered the nets at a 54 percent clip from behind the arc, were credited with 16 assists, and won the rebounding battle.
Final score: Louisiana Tech 77. Iowa 59.
“We got beat by a team that played a lot better than us tonight. I’m not sure if we necessarily got beat by a better team, just a team that played better than us tonight.,” said a frustrated Bluder after watching her team get dealt their first loss against five wins in 2006-07.
Bluder was most upset at the Hawkeyes’ inability to convert turnovers into points. Tech turned Iowa’s 19 turnovers in 20 points. Iowa got one off the 11 turnovers they forced from the vistors.
Iowa also missed its fair share of lay-ups, had an occasional mental let down, and, generally, didn’t play its best basketball. Hence, all is not lost in the eyes of their head coach “One loss doesn’t make or break a season, especially this early,” offered Bluder.
No, it doesn’t.
The Hawkeyes, who were led in scoring by Skouby with 16, Stacy Schlapkohl who had 11 and Smith who had 10, never led and, in fact, spent much of the night staring at a double-digit deficit. Three different times in the second half they trimmed that margin to 12, but could never get it any lower.
Once again, Jenee Graham was a force to be reckoned with on the board for the Hawkeyes. She grabbed a game-high 14. Skouby had nine.
Iowa will break for Thanksgiving before returning to action against Creighton on Sunday. The Hawkeyes next home game is Nov. 30 against Iowa State in the next event of the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series.