Nov. 23, 2009
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 47-point second half allowed No. 3 Texas to pull away and defeat the University of Iowa men’s basketball team, 85-60, Monday during the semifinals of the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic in the Sprint Center.
The depth of the Longhorns helped them to a 39-13 advantage in bench points.
Iowa slipped to 1-3 overall, but owned a lead early in the second half after sophomore Matt Gatens sank a three-point field goal with 19:34 left in the game off an assist from Anthony Tucker. Texas remains undefeated in three outings.
Gatens and UI freshman Brennan Cougill paced the Hawkeyes with 11 points. Cougill made 4 of 5 field goals (2 of 3 three-pointers) and 1 of 2 free throws. He pulled down four rebounds. Cougill poured in 10 points during the first half.
“We started off on our heels, then we realized we should be playing with them,” UI head coach Todd Lickliter said. “We continued to knock away and played some good basketball.”
Seven Hawkeyes scored in the game. Aside from Cougill and Gatens, Jarryd Cole and Devan Bawinkel added nine points, followed by Tucker and Cully Payne with eight. Eric May chipped in with four. Payne dished out a team-high six assists and May pulled down five rebounds.
A successful three-quarter-length shot by Payne at the end of the first half knotted the score, 38-38.
“Everybody’s down a little bit, but we have no time to hang our heads and we’re back at it,” Payne said. “We didn’t finish the game like we did the half, but it shows what we can do.”
During the last 8 minutes, 50 seconds of the first half, Iowa outscored Texas, 25-12, including five three-point field goals.
“In stretches, we played really good basketball,” Lickliter said. “We just couldn’t consistently do it.”
The Hawkeyes made 20 of 63 field goals (31.7 percent) and attempted 37 three-pointers, making 10. Iowa was 10 of 15 from the line. Texas won the rebound battle, 40-31, outscored the Hawkeyes by 22 in the paint (40 to 18), and converted 16 fast-break points, compared to Iowa’s 2.
“It’s nearly impossible to take everything away from a team,” Lickliter said.
There will be a quick turn-around for the Hawkeyes who play Wichita State on Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. The Shockers were defeated by Pittsburgh, 68-55, in the other Monday semifinal.
“We’ll see how we respond. It’s good if you learn,” Lickliter said. “We have to do a better job passing the basketball.”