Look Back at Iowa Basketball Wins Against AP No. 2

Hawkeyes Best Illinois for Big Ten Title

Bill Logan

It had all come down to this. One game, with the 1956 Big Ten title on the line. An “I’ for an “I’ is the way the Chicago Tribune set the table.

Iowa, the defending Big Ten champion, was 11-1 and riding a 12-game winning streak since losing its league opener at home to Michigan State, 65-64. The streak included a non-conference victory over Wichita State.

The second-ranked Illini were also 11-1 to start the final weekend of Big Ten play. The March 3 duel in Iowa Fieldhouse was the only meeting of the conference’s best teams that season. The winner would clinch at least a share of the 1956 Big Ten crown, and earn the league’s NCAA berth. 

It was the ultimate showdown of styles. Illinois was leading the Big Ten in scoring at 93.6 points a game. Iowa was leading the Big Ten in defense, allowing 69.5 points a game. The Hawkeyes were 33-7 in Big Ten play since 1953-54. Illinois was 31-9. CBS televised the game to 48 states. It was also Illinois Coach Harry Combes’ 41st birthday. 

“It isn’t going to be any party,” Combes told the Chicago Tribune.

He was right. Iowa outscored the Illini in the second half, 59-37, and did the celebrating after a 96-72 victory.

“This was the worst because the pressure was terrific,” Iowa center Bill Logan said. “I’ll never get this fired up for a game again. We just wanted to beat these Illinois guys and that’s all there is to it.”

A paper circle, with the words “BEAT ILLINOIS” at the top and bottom and Herky the Hawkeye painted in the middle, was held by Iowa cheerleaders for the team to run through on their way to the floor. Logan led the charge, sending up a huge roar from the crowd of 15,500. It was, the Iowa City Press-Citizen said, ”the beginning of the end for Illinois.”

True to form, Illinois had no answer for Logan. He scored 26 points, giving him 1,092 for his career and just two points shy of Chuck Darling’s school record. Logan also had 15 rebounds. The “Fabulous Five” were that for 40 title-defining minutes. 

Bill Seaberg added 19 points, Sharm Scheuerman 18, Bill Schoof 16 and Carl Cain 13 points and 18 rebounds. Coach Bucky O’Connor didn’t go to his bench until the final minute. Iowa outscored Illinois over the final 16-plus minutes, 55-32.

“I didn’t think it would be close,” Seaberg said. “I felt that either one team or the other would win by a big score.”

Added Cain, “We just get up for Illinois, not so much physically as emotionally.” 

The defensive-minded Hawkeyes had the big offensive game. The 96 points were a season high. But they also made it difficult for Illinois to score. The Illini had scored 100 points or more in five games during the season. They had 50 points with 8 minutes to play. 

“I thought our defense was great,” O’Connor said.

Combes agreed.

“Iowa defense was the best we’ve ever seen,” he said.

Illinois, the nation’s No. 1 free throw-shooting team entering the game, made just 12 of 21 attempts. Iowa was 34 of 38.

“You just can’t win basketball games by making 12 free throws,” Combes said. 

Illinois center George Bon Sallee was the bright offensive spot for Illinois, reaching the 30-point mark for a third straight game with 32 and adding 11 rebounds.

“Iowa is just much better than a year ago,” he said. They didn’t do anything unexpected, but what they did they did well.”

The Hawkeyes had a home game remaining with Indiana at Iowa Fieldhouse two nights later. And O’Connor was already worried about the game while his team celebrated the Illinois triumph around him in the locker room.

“I have to admit I’m afraid of Indiana now,” O’Connor said of a team that was 6-7 in Big Ten play and 13-8 overall. “The boys were pitched so high, and I hope they don’t let down.” 

O’Connor gathered his team moments later and started coaching them for the next game. 

“Remember, we want to win this Big Ten title alone,” O’Connor told his troops. We don’t want to share it with anyone.”

Iowa played to O’Connor’s pessimistic nature and trailed the Hoosiers at halftime, 41-40. But Seaberg finished with 21 points, and Logan added 17 to replace Darling as Iowa’s career scoring leader. Illinois also cooperated, losing at Northwestern to finish two games back of the Hawkeyes.

Iowa would keep rolling in NCAA Tournament play, expanding its winning streak to a school-record 17 victories by eliminating Morehead State, Kentucky and Temple. The winning streak ended in a 83-71 loss to San Francisco in the national championship game. 

All-time record vs. No. 2: 6-10

Other victories vs. No. 2

Iowa 63, Indiana 49 (Jan, 29, 1983, Iowa City) - Beat Iowa, and Indiana would jump to No. 1 in the Associated Press poll because top dog UCLA had lost earlier in the week. But the Hawkeyes turned on the defensive pressure in the second half and denied the Hoosiers the top spot.

Indiana, falling to 15-2, scored just 21 points in the second half. Iowa’s decisive 16-2 run was kicked off by an unlikely player. It was freshman Andre Banks, who started the run with three straight baskets. The first dunk of Steve Carfino’s career made it a 45-35 lead, then Greg Stokes added a basket and Iowa had full control of the game.

“Early in the second half I thought we both started to play better, but Iowa forced us into about four straight turnovers,” Indiana Coach Bob Knight said. “And from that point on, Iowa played extremely well.”

Stokes finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Indiana came into the game with the Big Ten’s top two scorers in Ted Kitchel (24.5 points a game) and Randy Wittman (22.8). Michael Payne helped limit Kitchel to 13 points. Mark Gannon got the assignment on Wittman, who had just 10 points..

“Our defense was exceptional, but I told the players I thought it was the best half of basketball that we played on offense all season,” Iowa Coach Lute Olson said.

Iowa 58, Indiana 57 (Feb. 16, 1983, Bloomington, Ind.) - It was the same song, second verse as the Hawkeyes knocked off the second-ranked Hoosiers for the second time in 18 days. It was Iowa’s second season sweep over the Hoosiers in three seasons and gave Coach Lute Olson’s team five victories in the last six meetings.

Greg Stokes had 22 points and nine rebounds, but it was Bobby Hansen’s eight points in the last 6:08 of the game that got his team over the hump. His first basket tied the game, 50-50. His second, at 5:26, gave Iowa the lead for good at 52-50. He added a third field goal at the 4:30 mark.

“That was the thing that broke our backs,” Indiana Coach Bob Knight said. Hansen added two free throws with :39 to play for a 58-54 lead.

“I’ve enjoyed watching him play over the years,” Knight said of Hansen. “He’s a tough competitor.”

Iowa 86, Illinois 82 (Feb. 5, 1989, Iowa City) - No. 9 Iowa’s senior trio of Roy Marble, B.J. Armstrong and Ed Horton dominated Illinois.

“This is a terrific threesome,” Iowa Coach Tom Davis said. “They’ve given everything they have in every possible way to get this ballclub where it is today (17-4).”

The three seniors combined to score the Hawkeyes’ final 23 points of the game, 38 of 42 in the second half and 68 of 86 overall. Horton scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, his career high in a Big Ten game. Armstrong had 24 points, five assists, two steals, a block and just one turnover. Marble had 18 points.

“B.J. is the best point guard in the country,” Illinois Coach Lou Henson said. “When you have a great player, plus an all-conference center like Horton, you’ve got a tremendous club.” 

Iowa 80, Ohio State 69 (March 10, 1991, Iowa City) - The Buckeyes were playing for their first outright Big Ten title since 1971. Iowa was playing for its NCAA life, in search of a 20th victory and an end to its three-game Carver-Hawkeye losing streak.

“There have been some people who doubted we’d be able to get into the NCAA tournament with 19 victories,” Iowa’s Rodell Davis said. “We felt like we needed one more for good measure.”

And get it they did. Davis was a major factor, scoring 19 points (nine of 13 from the field) and adding six rebounds and five steals in 26 minutes.

“The man was everywhere,” Ohio State’s Perry Carter said.

It was a tough finish for the Buckeyes, who started the week 15-1 and only needed a split to win the title outright. But Ohio State lost to Purdue earlier in the week to shrink its margin for error, and saw the rest of it go out the window in Iowa City.

“It’s not been a lot of fun losing the last two games in a row,” Ohio State Coach Randy Ayers said. “But we had a good season. We’re the hunted now.”

The Buckeyes still received a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and Iowa also got a bid after taking care of business. The Hawkeyes (20-10) had a 41-30 rebounding edge, with Acie Earl and Chris Street grabbing eight apiece. Jim Jackson had 24 points for Ohio State, who settled for a share of the title with Indiana.

“We shared the title but we swept Indiana,” Jackson said. “It’s hard to figure.” 

Iowa 83, Missouri 65 (Dec. 15, 2001, Columbia, Mo.) - The Hawkeyes came to town with a bitter taste in their mouth. Iowa had lost to the Tigers the previous month in the title game of the Guardians Classic in Kansas City, Mo., 78-77. The Hawkeyes had blown an 11-point lead with just over 2 minutes remaining in that one. They avoided a dramatic finish this time, taking a 39-28 halftime lead and then starting the second half with a 15-5 run.

“You always like to rebound from a loss like that,” Iowa Coach Steve Alford said. “The disappointing thing is that we had them beat the first time.”

Luke Recker made sure that didn’t happen again, scoring 31 points. He made 10 of 17 shots from the field, including four 3-pointers in five tries, and was perfect from the line in seven attempts. Reggie Evans added 15 points and 17 rebounds, and Pierre Pierce had 17 points.