BOX SCORE
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The situations got here in Iowa’s pre-game walk-through.
Large lineup, little lineup, regardless of the sport can do in a sport scenario.
So, when Kris Murray and Filip Rebraca had been on the bench with two fouls in Sunday’s sport towards Maryland at Carver-Hawkeye Enviornment, the five-guard lineup that ended the primary half was prepared.
The Hawkeyes’ 81-67 victory over the Terrapins was constructed on the movement of the lineup – Ahron Ulis, Tony Perkins, Josh Dix, Connor McCaffery and Payton Sandfort – mixed within the remaining 5 ½ minutes.
Iowa led 25-19 with Murray and Rebraca, the workforce’s high two scorers, on the bench. The half ended with the Hawkeyes up 43-31.
“We pushed the ball very well,” mentioned McCaffery, who, at 6-foot-6, is technically the ‘5’ in that rotation. “Possibly we’re extra athletic going up and down. Simply the velocity — males flying. They by no means had a pole there, so there was room to drive. “
“I believed they actually fought in that half,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery mentioned.
McCaffery mentioned the lineup labored due to the best way Maryland performed.
“Now we have 5 guards there,” he mentioned. “They play 4, normally. So you must return to all of the various things they do to guard somebody. So it is good to have guards there. The extra guards you’ve got there, the higher you’re towards these issues.
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Connor McCaffery and Ulis had the primary 10 factors of a 12-2 run that began on the 5:38 mark. Perkins ended the run with a tip-in, and the Hawkeyes led 37-21.
It was an enormous sport for Perkins, who had a career-high 22 factors on 10-of-13 capturing. Perkins made simply 6-of-28 photographs over the past three video games, however was dominant early on, scoring 9 of the Hawkeyes’ first 17 factors.
“That is my objective stepping into like that at present,” Perkins mentioned. “Transfer, go to the rim, do what I do greatest. Hit pull-ups, simply play my sport, simply do not give it some thought.
“It was an amazing sport for Tony,” Fran McCaffery mentioned. “There may be more room for him. He has an aggressive mindset, and that is what you need. In the event that they’re transferring, there’s loads of room. If they’re urgent, there’s extra room. And he simply adopted it.”
Iowa shot 60 % for the sport, 63.6 % within the second half to carry off the Terrapins.
“I simply assume their execution within the center courtroom is de facto the distinction,” Maryland coach Kevin Willard mentioned.
The Hawkeyes (12-6 general, 4-3 Large Ten) wrapped up their fourth straight victory behind Murray, who had 17 of his 19 factors within the second half.
Fran McCaffery tried to guard Murray and Rebraca with a zone protection to open the second half, which the Terrapins (11-6, 2-4) took benefit of for eight factors within the first 83 seconds. However in the long term, McCaffery mentioned, it made the distinction in retaining Murray within the sport the place he may assault.
“I do not need them to really feel blocked,” McCaffery mentioned. “Take into consideration the final three or 4 minutes. We truly went to Kris. You may want him later. He simply stored scoring and by no means felt threatened, as a result of we might simply isolate him and he would rating.
In an extended Large Ten season, it is best, Connor McCaffery mentioned, to be prepared for something.
“We’re not in growth but, however we wish the whole lot to click on on all cylinders as we hit this house,” he mentioned. “And so the extra we get on the ground, with totally different lineups taking part in with totally different folks, the higher we will proceed our streak, I feel.”