PISCATAWAY, N. J. – The Iowa men’s basketball team won the game at the RAC. And still he won a victory.
The Hawkeyes, two years after Joe Wieskamp buried a 3-point miracle to win here, outlived the Scarlet Knights 77-75 on Saturday.
Luka Garza, who struggled to have room to shoot for the game’s maximum, retired late, leading to the basket and collecting fouls in the process, to lead the No. 11 Hawkeyes (9-2Array 3-1 Big Ten Conference) with 25 points.
Freshman ahead Keegan Murray added 14 problems and nine rebounds at maximum functionality to what has been a rookie campaign. His pair of loose shots turned out to be the winners.
The game rambling and tense, as expected. CJ Fredrick gave Iowa a 72-71 lead with fundamental practice and a float, but Myles Johnson answered for Rutgers with a 73-72 tie and merit with 1 minute 11 seconds left.
Then, after property that looked like it was going nowhere, Iowa called for time-out and Jordan Bohannon drove for a stylish get away.
Geo Baker temporarily responded with a tray.
Rutgers then fouled Iowa’s Keegan Murray, who made either loose shot with 16. 4 seconds left. The Hawkeyes led 76-75. And then Iowa forced Johnson to avoid at the baseline as he picked up the ball to regain the ball with 4. 4 on the clock.
Wieskamp fouled and took a loose shot to give No. 13 Rutgers (7-2, 3-2) a final shot with 3 seconds left and the length of the court to play.
The last part of the court was short and the Hawkeyes stormed the court to celebrate their first road win this season.
Here’s what we learned:
The Scarlet Knights are a physical team that loves to submit warring parties to submission. It’s not a smart game for Iowa and it was shown infrequently on Saturday. Rutgers cracked down on Luka Garza, forced turnovers and continued to spin bodies on and off the roster. The result was a muddy game, and the kind the Hawkeyes want to be briefed on to win. Iowa has gone long stretches without scoring.
Garza struggled to keep his eyes open throughout the game. The Scarlet Knights attacked the offensive crystal to gain an advantage. But the Hawkeyes continued to seek tactics to adapt and run their own races. There were times when Rutgers seemed to need to step aside, just for Iowa to respond. It’s not fair to watch, however, it’s the kind of fight that has long characterized the Big Ten game.
Iowa starting ahead Connor McCaffery came out early with an obvious ankle injury. Freshman Keegan Murray racked up two fouls in the first half. It’s Jack Nunge to the rescue. The 6’11 player of the moment very good on defense when the Hawkeyes needed help for Luka Garza at the low post.
Nunge played 14 minutes of the first half, recording five points, seven rebounds (six defensive), 3 blocked shots and one steal. It was one of the main reasons Iowa had 14-12 point merit in the paint in the first half, choking Scarlet Knight and helping the Hawkeyes transition. Nunge added muscle in his 4 seasons in Iowa, so he can take on bigger bodies on the inside, and it showed dramatically on Saturday. Nunge was less effective in the middle of the moment, but Murray, once back, showed just how promising he is in filling that void.
Ahron Ulis and Tony Perkins were spectators at the Iowa Big Ten game. But that replaced in the first half. McCaffery’s injury, two fouls on CJ Fredrick and Murray, while Joe Toussaint still sprained an ankle, prompted Hawkeyes coach Fran McCaffery to call her rookies to the area for a key era of the season. First half.
Ulis ran the point for nine important minutes, contributing two questions, two assists and no turnovers. Perkins joined him on the band for five minutes, with one point and one loss. He also lost Rutgers star Ron Harper Jr. on two 3-point attempts. But he active and Iowa beat the Scarlet Knights in 4 problems while on the ground. The two freshmen seemed a bit hesitant at first, however Nunge is one of the veterans who helped them position themselves well on the field and you may see the two’s confidence in construction as their first big move to as Hawkeyes progressed.
The long run came a little earlier than expected for Ulis and Perkins, but it was a valuable learning time for both of them. More importantly, Iowa did not suffer for its youth.
Iowa then Maryland at 6 p. m. Thursday.
Mark Emmert covers the Iowa Hawkeyes for the record. Contact him at memmert@registermedia. com or 319-339-7367. Follow him on Twitter at @MarkEmmert.