Iowa's Keegan Murray (15) drives around Southeastern Louisiana's Jalyn Hinton during their game on Dec. 21, 2021 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. (Rob Howe/HawkeyeNation.com)
Iowa Basketball Cruises By Southeastern Louisiana
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Don’t worry, Keegan Murray said.
His ankle is fine.
Murray took himself out of Iowa’s 93-62 win over Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday night after he tweaked his ankle.
It would be a cause for concern, considering Murray has already missed one game and was affected in two others by a left ankle sprain just a couple of weeks ago.
“It’s nothing crazy like last time,” Murray said.
The Hawkeyes (9-3) got through a first-half scuffle and a second-half injury to center Josh Ogundele to head into the Christmas break with momentum.
Which, forward Patrick McCaffery said, is important.
“You don’t want to go into break on a bad note,” McCaffery said. “Everyone just feels crappy. Nobody wants to do that.”
Murray, the nation’s leading scorer at 23.5 points per game, finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, his eighth game of 20 or more points this season and his second double-double.
Murray had 15 of his points in the second half after picking up two fouls in the first half.
“I had a rough first half from the foul side,” Murray said.
“I also thought we did a good job of looking for him, and waiting for him,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said.
The Hawkeyes never trailed, leading by as much as 20 in the first half before taking a 44-30 halftime lead.
The only issue in the first half came when Iowa guard Joe Toussaint and Southeastern Louisiana guard Keon Clergeot got tangled going for a loose ball. Clergeot rolled on top of Toussaint and shoved him into the court as players from both sides broke up the scuffle.
Clergeot was ejected from the game, grinning as fans booed him as he left the court.
Toussaint, who didn’t retaliate, stayed in the game.
“It just shows his maturity,” Murray said. “I think Joe did a really good job handling himself.”
“He kept his composure,” Fran McCaffery said. “You don’t want anyone to take a swing, and that kind of thing can happen in a situation like that. He was composed in that situation.”
Patrick McCaffery got a chuckle when asked about Toussaint’s reaction, noting how his brother, Connor, tried to go after Clergeot.
“(Toussaint) did (keep his composure),” Patrick said, trying to hold back a laugh and failing. “Connor McCaffery, on the other hand, did not.”
Iowa led by as much as 37 points in the second half, but the half proved a bit costly when Ogundele, in his first minute on the court, suffered an ankle injury.
“He is sore and (the ankle) is a little swollen,” Fran McCaffery said. “He could be out for a while. I felt bad for him. He was running the floor and was about to get a dunk, and he tweaked it.”
Patrick McCaffery added 16 points. Jordan Bohannon had 13. Payton Sandfort had 10.
Murray said the break will be about spending time with his family, and getting healthy. But he also plans on getting work in the gym.
“Don’t miss a beat,” he said.
