Another game, another disappointing Hawkeyes performance down the stretch.
That’s not to say it was a great performance overall by Iowa. Many of the problems we’ve seen all season were on display again Thursday night. The Hawkeyes struggled on defense, allowing open shooters beyond the arc all night. Penn State shot 52% from the field and 52.2% from the 3-point line; the Nittany Lions knocked down 12-of-23 from distance.
In contrast, the Hawkeyes couldn’t shoot, going 26.7% from deep on 15 attempts.
So, there was bad defense, a lack of shooting and the struggle of anyone no named Ben Krikke to do anything. Is there anything I’m forgetting? Oh yeah, the mind-boggling substitutions: They were back as well.
The result was a loss. Yes, Iowa lost again, dropping this one to Penn State, 89-79.
Despite the problems, Iowa was in this game for the most part. It is extremely streaky, able to rattle off a 10-0 run in an instant. Unfortunately, it is just as likely to give up an even worse run right back.
That’s exactly what happened Thursday. Iowa went ice cold down the stretch, coughing up a seven-point lead with 9:54 to play and giving the game away.
This is certainly not the first time we’ve seen that this season. Folding down the stretch has been the common theme, and in a massive game for possible postseason implications, it happened yet again.
Here are the social media reactions.