Hawkeyes Fall to No. 24 Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. – The University of Iowa men’s basketball team fell to No. 24 Wisconsin, 84-71, on Sunday afternoon on Ab Nicholas Court inside the Kohl Center. The Hawkeyes move to 19-8 overall and 9-7 in Big Ten play.

Iowa got off to a hot start, building a 19-11 lead after opening the game 8-of-11 from the field and 3-of-5 from 3-point range, including six straight makes. Wisconsin responded with a 10-0 run to take its first lead, 24-21, at the midway point of the first half.

The Hawkeyes answered with a 7-0 run to reclaim a 28-24 advantage and either led or were tied for the remainder of the half. Iowa shot 14-of-25 (56 percent) from the field and 5-of-11 (45.5 percent) from 3-point range over the opening 20 minutes. The Hawkeyes also went 8-of-11 (72.7 percent) from the free throw line to take a 41-40 lead into the break.

Senior Bennett Stirtz led Iowa with 12 first-half points on 4-of-7 shooting. Seven Hawkeyes scored in the opening half, with the bench contributing 13 points.

Wisconsin opened the second half on an 11-3 run to take a 51-44 lead as Iowa went scoreless for nearly three minutes. Trailing throughout the half, back-to-back baskets from Stirtz trimmed the deficit to three, 64-61, with eight minutes remaining. The Badgers answered with a 10-0 run to push the lead to 11 with three minutes left, and Iowa was unable to cut further into the deficit down the stretch.

Stirtz paced the Hawkeyes with 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Freshman Tate Sage added 11 points and a career-high seven rebounds. Junior Alvaro Folgueiras also scored 11 points, while senior Tavion Banks rounded out Iowa’s double-digit scorers with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

Iowa finished shooting 28-of-59 (47.5 percent) from the field and 7-of-26 (26.9 percent) from 3-point range. The Hawkeyes did not attempt a free throw in the second half, finishing 8-of-11 (72.7 percent) at the line.

HEAR FROM HEAD COACH BEN MCCOLLUM
“I didn’t think we did a very good job defensively, and honestly, I thought we were really poor at executing a lot of our stuff, but part of that had to do with just Wisconsin and what they do offensively. I was disappointed in our transition defense and disappointed in our ball screen coverage. Offense was actually fine, but then we started pressing in that second half from an offensive perspective. That’s where those low percentages come in, you just kind of press because you’re not getting stops consistently. So, you know, you have to be better than that to beat them here, and we weren’t.”

GAME NOTES

• The Hawkeyes dropped an 84-71 road decision at No. 24/25 Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon at the Kohl Center.  
• The Badgers used a 10-0 run over a two-minute stretch late in the second half, turning a three-point lead to 78-65 with 3:57 left. 
• The loss drops Iowa’s record to 1-6 against ranked opponents this season.
• Iowa had four players finish in double figures: Bennett Stirtz (23), Tate Sage (11), Alvaro Folgueiras (11), Tavion Banks (10) 
  • Stirtz scored 20+ points for the ninth time in the last 10 games and for the 16th time this season (11 in Big Ten play). He finished 9-of-16 from the floor with three 3-point field goals.
  • He played all 40 minutes for the second straight game and for the 11th time this season.
• Sage landed in double figures for the sixth time this season and for the first time since Jan. 20.  
  • He went 3-of-7 from the field and 4-of-6 from the free throw line.
• Folgueiras finished in double digits for the 12th time. It’s the first time Iowa has lost this season when he has been in double figures.
• Wisconsin shot 53.8 percent from the field and made 10 3-pointers en route to 84 points. 
  • The Badgers are the second team this season to score above their season scoring average against Iowa.
• The Badgers used an 11-0 run over a 2 1/2 minute stretch early in the second half to take a 51-44 lead.
• Iowa and Wisconsin finished tied with 29 boards apiece.
• Wisconsin went 18-of-20 from the free throw line; Iowa was 8-of-11.
• Iowa opened the game by making eight of its first 11 shots, including three 3-pointers to take a 19-11 lead at the 13:44 mark. Wisconsin followed with a 10-0 and 13-2 run to take a 24:21 lead at the 9:17 mark. 
  • The Hawkeyes shot 56 percent (14-of-25) in the opening 20 minutes; Wisconsin was 53.6 percent (15-of-28).

UP NEXT
Iowa returns to action Wednesday, hosting Ohio State at 8 p.m. (CT) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are available through the Iowa Athletics Ticket Office.