Nov. 28, 2008
LAS VEGAS – “Momma said there’d be days like this, there’d be days like this, my momma said.”
For Coach Todd Lickliter and his 2008-09 Iowa Hawkeyes “their day” was the day after Thanksgiving 2008, a date on the calendar that included a meeting with West Virginia in the semi-final round of the Las Vegas Invitational.
WVU dealt the Hawkeyes a 85-68 loss, their first of the year after five straight wins to open the season. The Mountaineers improved to 4-0. Iowa play the loser of Friday’s second semi-final game between Kansas State and Kentucky at 6 p.m. Iowa time Saturday.
This game slipped through the Hawkeyes fingers early when West Virginia raced to a 37-15 advantage with seven minutes left in the first half and then coasted to a 48-29 lead at intermission.
Iowa didn’t cash it in, however. Lickliter’s squad won the second 20 minutes by a 39-37 count.
The 85 points scored by West Virginia was the most allowed by Iowa this season. The previous highwater mark was 67 by Texas-San Antonio.
After Saturday’s game in Vegas, Iowa will hustle home before jetting off to Boston for a date with Boston College Tuesday night. That game is part of this year’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Hawkeyes then play Bryant Friday night in the first of three straight home games.