After a promising first half that saw the Gophers leading 38-34 at the break, Minnesota just couldn't get anything going in the second half and fell to Iowa 71-59 on the road. Here are three takeaways from the road loss.
Gophers Run Out Of Gas
Although Iowa's defense in the second half definitely played a big role, Minnesota just didn't seem to have much energy and intensity in the second. Guys weren't able to knock down shots even when they got good looks, and Iowa was making them pay in transition as they continuously beat Minnesota up the floor for high percentage looks. What did this fatigue lead to offensively? Just four field goals in the last 15 minutes of the game, and only 21 second half points. Despite the strong first half, you just aren't going to win a Big Ten game with those type of numbers.
Jamison Battle Struggles From The Field
It just didn't seem to be Jamison's day, as the usual marksman shot just 1-12 from the field for 2 points. Even when he was able to get some open looks, his shot just wasn't falling, and that was huge for Iowa as he's someone who can usually go on a run to bring his team back into games when needed. I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like Battle hasn't been going to the block as much this past month as he did early on in the season when he was playing more as a three level scorer. When his outside shot isn't falling, it would be nice to see the Gophers look to get the ball to him on the block and see if he can use his strength and footwork to create some high percentage looks. Seeing a few short ones fall could help him get back into a rhythm from three.
Luke Loewe Steps Up
Luke Loewe has continued his run of strong play offensively over the past couple of weeks. Tonight it was with a team high 19 points, hitting 7-9 shots from the field and 4-5 from three. He was extremely efficient with his opportunities, and also had the highlight steal/half-court heave at the first half buzzer. Really liked the way he hit a couple shots early, and then when defenders were rushing to closeout on him, he attacked them to get some finishes at the rim. Good to see him getting more confident on that end of the floor to give the Gophers another scoring option.
Key Performers For Minnesota
Luke Loewe- 19 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Payton Willis- 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists
Eric Curry- 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists
Key Performers For Iowa
Keegan Murray- 24 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists
Patrick McCaffery- 18 points, 7 rebounds
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