Hawkeyes Stand Their Ground, Rally Past Illinois

Iowa knocks off Big Ten leader in another feisty show.

Every game, it seems, is going to be one of those draw-a-line-in-the-sand moments.

The Big Ten is a constant push-and-shove this season, and one thing Iowa has learned is to keep pushing back.

Yes, the Hawkeyes are brash and feisty and whatever adjective you want to use and yes, guard Connor McCaffery understands that you’re going to use the adjectives.

“You want to say, ‘Why are they talking?’ ‘Why are they trying to start something?’” McCaffery said after Sunday’s 72-65 win over conference leader Illinois at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. “That’s not what it’s all about. We’re not taking any BS.

“We’re right here, we’re going to stand our ground.”

“A lot of guys,” said center Luka Garza, “have the mindset of being tough players.”

The 18th-ranked Hawkeyes (16-6 overall, 7-4 Big Ten) are just one game out in the conference race. It’s a traffic jam ahead and behind them in the league standings, so this season is like driving in the big city — cut off anyone who tries to get in your lane, and withstand the horns of anger to get where you’re going.

“We’re emotional,” said guard CJ Fredrick, “and we want to win.”

Oh, there was honking after this one, when there was a lot of swatting at the ball as the final seconds drained, and then there was a lot of talking after between the two teams and coaches, and even between McCaffery and official Mike Eades.

"That's what it came down to down the stretch — just digging in," McCaffery said.

To get to March and stay ahead of the traffic, you’re going to have to be feisty, and the Hawkeyes know that.

They’ve been especially that way in their home, and Illinois coach Brad Underwood knows that.

He went down the Hawkeyes’ schedule and ticked off the names of all who have fallen — Iowa is 11-1 at home this season.

“That’s a tough basketball team, and they make tough plays,” Underwood said. “All you’ve got to do is look at their home games here — Rutgers, Wisconsin, Michigan, us. They’ve won them all. That’s toughness. That’s toughness down the stretch. It doesn’t have to do with physicality — that’s mental toughness.”

It’s what happened in this game. The 19th-ranked Illini (16-6, 8-3) led 62-61 with 4:03 to left, and then watched Iowa score the next 11 points.

“Coming down the stretch, to beat a team of this caliber, you have to execute,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. “And execution is at both ends of the floor.”

“To their credit,” Underwood said, “they made plays.”

That, Underwood said, is a credit to Fran McCaffery.

“You guys know Fran, right?” Underwood said.”I’ve sat in league meetings with him. Fran’s a tough SOB. He’s a tough son-of-a-gun. I think we’re kind of cut from kind of the same cloth.

“It’s the same mindset. He’s got his kids believing, and it’s 99 percent of the battle today in college coaching, in getting your team believing in you, and taking on some of your characteristics.”

McCaffery wasn’t happy with the Hawkeyes’ defense midway through the second half, and he let his players know that during a timeout.

“I thought we were substantially better than that,” he said.

The Illini were ready to challenge the Hawkeyes, and it started with how they planned to defend Garza, the Big Ten’s leading scorer.

“Just hit him,” Underwood said. “He’s 290 pounds (actually, Garza weighs 260 pounds). Hit him on every shot.”

That’s not really an original game plan — Big Ten teams have been trying to push Garza around all season.

The job in this game belonged to Illinois 7-footer Kofi Cockburn, who weighs 30 pounds more than Garza.

Garza wasn’t willing to constantly battle that kind of truck, so he decided to step out behind the arc. Garza, who came into the game a 37.3-percent 3-point shooter, took a career-high nine 3-pointers and made four, also a career high.

Garza went the first 15:07 without a point, and finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds for his 13th double-double of the season.

Garza’s first field goal was followed that with a 3-pointer 81 seconds later. He would have 11 points in a 13-2 run that erased an early 8-point lead from the Illini.

“When he got going at the end of the first half, he got going because he was getting offensive rebounds because we didn’t hit him,” Underwood said.

“I thought we did a better job of getting (the ball) to him,” Fran McCaffery said. “They were sitting in there on top of him. They made a decision to limit his touches.

McCaffery just shrugged when asked about Garza taking that many outside shots.

“You know what?” McCaffery said. “He can shoot 18 if he wants, as far as I’m concerned.”

Fredrick and Joe Wieskamp would add 18 points.

The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten in scoring offense at 78.9 points per game.

That, too, is toughness, according to Underwood.

“All I know is you better keep up with them in scoring, because they’re No. 1 in offense,” he said. “They’re a lot of ways to be tough. You don’t have to play 45 to 50 (points) to be tough.”

These two teams will meet again in the final game of the regular season, the end of the road. The Hawkeyes plan on being a stay-in-your-lane kind of team.

“That’s why we win,” Connor McCaffery said.