JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
If you missed this game, you missed one of the more entertaining Iowa basketball games in six years. It was also one of the best crowds of the last decade.
The energy in Carver Hawkeye was palpable and played a huge part in Iowa's 84-75 win to open the N.I.T.
The Hawkeyes used that energy early on, coming out and running the floor as well as they have all season long. It led to several fast break dunks and Iowa had a 10-0 fast break points advantage at intermission. Yet with all of that energy and all of those easy points at the basket, Iowa couldn't shake Dayton until midway through the second half.
If you are a fan of good defense, you were probably disappointed in this game as neither team was razor sharp on that end of the floor. However if you are a fan of uptempo basketball, you really enjoyed this one.
For the Hawkeyes, the front court led the way. Aaron White notched a season-high 25 points, to go along with 11 rebounds. The 11 rebounds equal an Iowa NIT record. Ryan Bowen had 11 vs. Georgia on March 11, 1998.
Zach McCabe notched 20 points, which equals a career-high. He scored those points on 9-9 shooting from the floor, missing just one free throw attempt on the night. He also had eight rebounds. Melsahn Basabe had 15 point and five rebounds in just 14 minutes. He looked like the Basabe of 2011 during his time on the court. Iowa outscored Dayton 48 to 30 in the paint.
Bryce Cartwright tallied a career-high 11 assists, which sets a new Iowa NIT record. (Andre Woolridge had 10 vs. DePaul on March 15, 1995). Matt Gatens tallied seven points for Iowa in what may turn out to be his last game in Carver Hawkeye Arena.
For the game, Iowa shot 56.9% from the floor compared to 39.4% for Dayton. While that's a solid percentage against number for the Iowa defense, the Flyers had too many point blank opportunities as the Hawkeyes struggled to stop the ball at the top of the key.
Iowa was -1 on the glass tonight, including a shaky -7 on the offensive glass. Iowa had 11 turnovers to nine for Dayton, but Iowa had 23 assists on its 33 field goals, which is a very good number.
13,190 fans were in attendance, but it sounded like 20,000 through the television. I expected the crowd to be 'next level' on Tuesday night, based upon previous years where Iowa has been in the N.I.T. There are a number of fans who come to these games who might not be able to afford season tickets or choose not to purchase season tickets. For whatever reasons, these crowds have always been more rowdy and loud from start to finish. That was the case on Tuesday night, as the Hawkeyes fans were simply sensational.
Iowa faces the winner of LSU-Oregon. If LSU wins, the game will be played at Carver Hawkeye Arena. If Oregon wins, Iowa will head west to face the Ducks.
The energy in Carver Hawkeye was palpable and played a huge part in Iowa's 84-75 win to open the N.I.T.
The Hawkeyes used that energy early on, coming out and running the floor as well as they have all season long. It led to several fast break dunks and Iowa had a 10-0 fast break points advantage at intermission. Yet with all of that energy and all of those easy points at the basket, Iowa couldn't shake Dayton until midway through the second half.
If you are a fan of good defense, you were probably disappointed in this game as neither team was razor sharp on that end of the floor. However if you are a fan of uptempo basketball, you really enjoyed this one.
For the Hawkeyes, the front court led the way. Aaron White notched a season-high 25 points, to go along with 11 rebounds. The 11 rebounds equal an Iowa NIT record. Ryan Bowen had 11 vs. Georgia on March 11, 1998.
Zach McCabe notched 20 points, which equals a career-high. He scored those points on 9-9 shooting from the floor, missing just one free throw attempt on the night. He also had eight rebounds. Melsahn Basabe had 15 point and five rebounds in just 14 minutes. He looked like the Basabe of 2011 during his time on the court. Iowa outscored Dayton 48 to 30 in the paint.
Bryce Cartwright tallied a career-high 11 assists, which sets a new Iowa NIT record. (Andre Woolridge had 10 vs. DePaul on March 15, 1995). Matt Gatens tallied seven points for Iowa in what may turn out to be his last game in Carver Hawkeye Arena.
For the game, Iowa shot 56.9% from the floor compared to 39.4% for Dayton. While that's a solid percentage against number for the Iowa defense, the Flyers had too many point blank opportunities as the Hawkeyes struggled to stop the ball at the top of the key.
Iowa was -1 on the glass tonight, including a shaky -7 on the offensive glass. Iowa had 11 turnovers to nine for Dayton, but Iowa had 23 assists on its 33 field goals, which is a very good number.
13,190 fans were in attendance, but it sounded like 20,000 through the television. I expected the crowd to be 'next level' on Tuesday night, based upon previous years where Iowa has been in the N.I.T. There are a number of fans who come to these games who might not be able to afford season tickets or choose not to purchase season tickets. For whatever reasons, these crowds have always been more rowdy and loud from start to finish. That was the case on Tuesday night, as the Hawkeyes fans were simply sensational.
Iowa faces the winner of LSU-Oregon. If LSU wins, the game will be played at Carver Hawkeye Arena. If Oregon wins, Iowa will head west to face the Ducks.
