Gotta love all the excuse mongering from the CR Gazette. The Iowa Girls win was the headline story, and then this one basically saying Iowa State's win was no big deal. He needs some therapy.
ISU just fine win less-than-pretty win
By Mike Hlas
Gazette sports columnist
mike.hlas@gazettecommunications.com
AMES
There will be better days for the men's basketball teams of Iowa and Iowa State.
Saturday's 56-47
ISU win over the Hawkeyes in Hilton Coliseum, however, wasn't one of the epic battles in a classic rivalry. Cyclones Coach Greg McDermott mildly bristled when a questioner suggested it may have been sloppy, since his guys had a mere six turnovers (Iowa had just 10).
OK, so ``sloppy'' doesn't fully qualify. How about ``less than aesthetically and technically perfect?'' Or ``brick-filled?''
Iowa shot 32.1 percent from the field,
ISU 31.4. But the Cyclones played better defensively and more aggressively in front of 14,376 fans who treated this game as every bit as important as any other in the
ISU-Iowa series.
Did it matter that Iowa State was coming off a 79-44 humiliation at Drake three days earlier? Nope.
Did it matter that Iowa didn't have the services of guard Tony Freeman due to a sore foot, while sore-footed Wesley Johnson gave the Cyclones 27 minutes? Sure.
Did it matter that
ISU seniors Rahshon Clark and Jiri Hubalek showed up to the tune of 29 points, while Iowa senior big men Kurt Looby and Seth Gorney had a combined zero points in 30 minutes. Oh yeah.
Did it matter that this game bore absolutely nothing in common to the Cyclones' 102-100 overtime win over Iowa here 20 Decembers ago, that
ISU's Lafester Rhodes scored 54 points all by himself that night when sublime talent on both squads staged an unforgettable basketball show?
Not at all. Not to Hubalek, anyhow, who high-fived every fellow
ISU student within arm's reach after the game and pointed to others too far away to touch.
Hubalek got benched by McDermott after blowing a defensive assignment a minute into the game, allowing Iowa freshman Jarryd Cole to score the game's first two points. McDermott talked, Hubalek listened, then went on to be his team's leader in points (15) and a co-leader in effort and spirit.
If all those screaming fans had been in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and supporting the Hawkeyes, Iowa probably wins this game. That's no slap at the Cyclones, just a statement on the fragility of both teams at this point in time.
Iowa was three days removed from a surprising win at Northern Iowa, but that was the one game this season that Freeman played. If it was too sore for him to return three days later, it brings concern for the rest of the season. What if it turns into a stress fracture? What's at risk here?
Johnson has faced similar questions with the Cyclones. Like Freeman, he's a vital part to this club. Like Freeman, fingers will be crossed all season about his left foot.
The skies are bluer inside the two teams' crystal balls than in the world they inhabit today. Freshmen accounted for two-thirds of Iowa's scoring Saturday. Cole had 15 points, seven offensive rebounds, and 35 minutes of here-I-come. Guard Jake
Kelly ignored the
ISU student section's jibes in adding 13 points over his own 35 minutes.
The two teamed to go 11 of 19 from the floor. Their teammates were 7 of 37.
Sophomore forward Johnson joins freshmen power forward Craig Brackins and guard Diante Garrett as nice pieces to what could be a real good equation in time. But in the words of Ringo Starr, time takes time. For both teams.
``When we went into Northern Iowa ... it's a nice accomplishment to win,'' Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter said. ``But I really think you should expect to play good basketball. That's the idea.
``I'm hoping that's what we'll do. I'd like to be consistent in our play. Hopefully, we'll get to that point.''
Maybe Iowa will turn around and knock off Drake Friday in Iowa City. How long has it been since anyone attached a ``maybe'' to that?
No dissing Drake here. Not when it's in pursuit of its second straight state title. After enduring losses to UNI and Drake, Clark was happy to finish his career of in-state games with this victory over Iowa.
``I'll take a win any way we can get it, right, Coach?'' Clark asked.
McDermott's reply: ``Good answer.''
No 102-100 scores are on the near horizon for these two teams. We'll see some more 56-47 types, though. Any win, any way they can get it, will be good ones.
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