Iowa Falls to Maryland, 67-69

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa men’s basketball team fell to Maryland, 67-69, on Wednesday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes move to 11-8 on the season and 3-5 in Big Ten Conference play.

Senior Tony Perkins led the Hawkeyes in the scoring column for the second straight game. Perkins scored 20 points and shot 11-of-11 from the free throw line. Perkins has finished with 20+ points in five games this season.

Freshman Owen Freeman finished one rebound shy of his fourth double-double of the season. Freeman scored 14 points to go along with nine rebounds, five of them being offensive rebounds, tying a career high.

The Hawkeyes were unable to get the outside shooting going in the first half, finishing the half 0-of-7 from deep. Despite the cold perimeter shooting Iowa was able to take a lead into the break. Perkins and Freeman combined to score 19 of Iowa’s 34 first half points. At the break, the Hawkeyes led the Terrapins, 34-28.

Iowa knocked down all 12 free throws in the second half, but it wasn’t enough. Jahmir Young closed out the game for Maryland, scoring the teams last eight points and converting the game winning layup to take a two-point lead with under two seconds left. Young finished with 22 points

HEAR FROM HEAD COACH FRAN MCCAFFERY

“We started fouling to much in the second half. They were in the double bonus early. Owen is really good. We have to get him to the point where he can use his body and not pick up those fouls and not get in foul trouble. We need him out there.”

“You have to be able to learn from it. Break it down. We made a ton of mistakes. What could we have done differently as coaches, what could we have done differently as players. That’s what you do. You break it down and you work on that. You have a gameplan and then you go on the road and play a tough team. Hopefully we’ll play better. We were not in sync most of the game. I think that was obvious. We had a chance to get a lead in the first half, we had a lead, but it wasn’t much. You can’t turn the ball over 14 times.

GAME NOTABLES

• This was Iowa’s first game decided by eight or fewer points this season.
• Iowa shot 50 percent from the field in the first half to build a 10-point lead (24-14).  The Hawkeyes led 34-28 at the break.
  • It is the first time this season Iowa lost when leading at the break (11-1).
  • The Hawkeyes’ defense allowed 28 points in the first half – the fewest against a Big Ten opponent this season.
• Senior Tony Perkins scored a team-high 20 points, leading the team in scoring for a second straight game. 
  • He went 4-of-9 from the field and 11-for-11 from the charity stripe.
  • It is Perkins’ second straight and fifth 20-point game this season.
• Freshman Owen Freeman finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, making 6-of-11 field goals. 
  • He has scored in double figures in six of the last seven games and in 11 games this season.
  • Freeman now has 31 blocks this season – the seventh-most by a freshman in program history.
• It is the second time this season Iowa has had two players in double figures.
• Freshman Ladji Dembele missed the game because of injury.

UP NEXT
Iowa hits the road for its next two games, beginning with a Saturday afternoon matchup at Michigan.  Game time is set for 4 p.m. (CT).