IOWA VS NCCU 11/25/2020 - at Carver Hawkeye Arena - Iowa City, IA

358 words.  3 minute read


 

I don't know who I need to talk to about the fake crowd noise that is piped into the very empty Carver Hawkeye Arena.  It sounds like the beginning of Coolio's "Gansta's Paradise".  And it is creepy.

But this weekend is all about giving "Thanks" and I am thankful that Iowa Hawkeye basketball is back.

Iowa plays host to two teams this Thanksgiving "weekend".  On Wednesday, The Hawks opened the home schedule by defeating the North Carolina Central Eagles 97-67-- led by Luka Garza's double-double.

Iowa vs North Carolina A&T
Brian Ray/Hawkeyesports.com
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IOWA GAME NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS

  • The 30 point victory over the visiting Eagles cover the -28.5 point spread-- it was close, though.  NCCU had possession with :20 seconds remaing but a steal by true freshman Tony Perkins led to running out the clock.  The 164 point total killed the 149.5 Over/Under.
  • True freshman, Keegan Murray scored his first points as a Hawkeye in the first half.  Although he struggled shooting in the first half, he added 10 points in the 2nd half.  He finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists.  He led ALL Hawkeyes in minutes played with 29.
Iowa vs North Carolina A&T
Brian Ray/Hawkeyesports.com
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  • Speaking of true freshman-- Iowa played 5 total true freshmen.  For the last 6:00 of the 2nd half, they had 4 on the floor consistently.  Ahron Ulis, Tony Perkins, Keegan Murray, Kris Murray, and Josh Ogundele all got minutes.
  • Luka Garza recorded his first double-double of the season.  The preseason All-American and preseason Big Ten basketball player of the year scored 26 points and 10 rebounds in 24 total minutes played.

 

  • 14 different Iowa players saw playing time today.  Ogundele scored 1 point on a free throw.
  • Joe Wieskamp was just 2-4 from the field (0-2 3FG) but did add 6 rebounds.
Iowa vs North Carolina A&T
Brian Ray/Hawkeyesports.com
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  • Patrick McCaffery looked good today.  He was 2nd on the team in scoring with 16 points.
  • Iowa has won its last ten season openers, dating back to the 2011-12 season.
  • Iowa Head Coach Fran McCaffery yelled "F*%K!" through his mask.  So I guess there is some benefits to not having fans at Carver.

On Friday, Iowa will play host to the Southern Jaguars.  The Jaguars were picked to finish second in their conference with 117 votes and behind Texas Southern (124 votes).  Tip off is scheduled for 4:00 pm and will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

 

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