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Iowa Basketball: Takeaways and reaction from loss to No. 1 Gonzaga

By Joe Kipp

Dec 13, 2020; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Fran McCaffery talks with his team during the second half against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The victory would be the 200th for McCaffery at Iowa. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2020; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Fran McCaffery talks with his team during the second half against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The victory would be the 200th for McCaffery at Iowa. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports /
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Iowa basketball fell short against the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Saturday. Here are the takeaways from the game.

The No. 3 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (6-1) never seemed to find a rhythm against No. 1 Gonzaga (4-0) on Saturday at Sanford Arena in Sioux Falls. Fran McCaffery’s squad fell behind early in the first half and never seemed to regain their composure, losing by a final score of 99-88.

Takeaways and reactions from Iowa basketball’s first loss of the 2020-21 season:

  • We expected a high-scoring affair between these two teams. The Vegas total for this game was 171.5 points, which was smashed with a final total of 187.
  • The Hawkeyes scored their lowest total points of the season (88). Iowa hadn’t scored less than 93 all season entering the day. They came in averaging 100.5.
  • The difference in this game came from the free throw line and from beyond the 3-point arc. Iowa never got anything going from downtown, finishing a dismal 18 percent from distance (4-of-22). They finished 54 percent from the charity stripe. They were also out-rebounded, 49-37.
  • Jalen Suggs was a problem all game. He seemingly couldn’t miss from downtown (7-of-10) and led all Gonzaga players in points (27). Suggs played like an NBA lottery pick.
  • Defensively, Iowa gave way too many open looks for Gonzaga from three, and rebounding was a problem all game. Gonzaga ate up the Hawkeyes on the fast-break, as well.
  • Another ho-hum performance from Luka Garza. He stepped up every time he was called upon. Garza finished with 30 points (13-of-18), 10 rebounds, three blocks and two assists. He had just one turnover.
  • Jordan Bohannon had one of his worst games in a Hawkeye uniform. Iowa’s starting point guard missed 3-point attempts on back-to-back possessions late in the game, which really sealed the Hawkeyes’ fate. Bohannon was 1-of-8 shooting, including 0-of-5 from distance. He had two points, three assists and led the team in turnovers (four).
  • Joe Wieskamp came to play today. He was 8-of-16 for 20 points, and had a couple big offensive rebounds down the stretch. Wieskamp was one of the lone bright spots for the Hawks.
  • Backup forward Patrick McCaffery looked lost at times, almost like the game was too fast for him. He finished with no statistics despite playing 10 minutes.
  • Jack Nunge is really starting to enter the conversation as Iowa’s second-best player. He led the team in offensive rebounds (six) and was crucial on the defensive end of the floor. He finished with double-digit points (10) for the third time this season.
  • Good contributions from backup point guard Joe Toussaint. He finished with 14-2-2 in 18 minutes. Two big turnovers in the final three minutes really hurt, but he stated his case for potentially starting going forward.
  • Five minutes for true freshman Keegan Murray. He was one of four bench players to see action. Don’t be shocked if he’s averaging 10-12 minutes later this season.
  • At the end of the day, the Hawkeyes are still 6-1 and easily a top 10 team in the nation. Iowa proved they can go toe-to-toe with anyone, despite the loss. If they hit a few more threes, this is a completely different outcome.

Up next, Iowa basketball hosts Purdue on Tuesday, Dec. 22, at 8:00 pm CT at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. TV info has not yet been released.

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