The following comes from http://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/3-takeaways-uthoffs-night-late-game-woes-joks-eye-20151212
END-OF-GAME SITUATIONS
Despite giving up a 20-point second-half lead, Iowa still had an opportunity to beat No. 2-ranked Iowa State on the game’s final possession. But like so many late-game chances over the last few years, the Hawkeyes squandered it in an 83-82 loss.
Iowa State point guard Monte Morris’ jumper with 8.9 seconds left pushed the No. 2-ranked Cyclones ahead by one point. The Hawkeyes sprinted up the court, didn’t call timeout and Iowa point guard Mike Gesell found forward Jarrod Uthoff at the top of the key. Iowa guard Peter Jok screened Uthoff’s defender Matt Thomas, and Uthoff fired a 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left. The ball bounced off the front of the rim and time ran out. ISU prevailed.
“I thought it was good, too,” Uthoff said.
It’s just one of many last-second offensive failures by the Hawkeyes over the last three seasons. During that time frame, in games when Iowa (7-3) could win outright or tie on one possession in the final 15 seconds of regulation or overtime, the Hawkeyes have converted on just two of 14 opportunities (counting one game twice). Iowa holds a 3-10 record in those games.
In three of Iowa’s four losses this season — including Thursday’s defeat at Iowa State — the Hawkeyes had a chance to win or tie in the final seconds. Iowa trailed Dayton 80-77 at the AdvoCare Invitational, and Jok missed a 3-pointer with 4 seconds left. In a tie game at home last week against Florida State, Gesell bounced a pass off the back of the backboard with two seconds left.
Last year, Uthoff hit shots in end-of-game situations to either tie (at Northwestern) or win outright (at Minnesota). In four other games Iowa failed to convert in regulation — at Penn State, at Purdue, against Minnesota at home and against Syracuse at Madison Square Garden.
Four games and five opportunities were blown in 2013-14. Twice at home against Michigan State (regulation and overtime), the Hawkeyes failed to score in end-of-game situations. There was a turnover at home against Illinois inside of a second, a missed 3-pointer at Iowa State to tie and a missed shot against Xavier of an overtime victory.
Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery shuns timeouts in those situations and such was the case Thursday at Iowa State. In only one of those 14 situations did the Hawkeyes call for a timeout, and that was after Illinois drilled the go-ahead 3-pointer inside of 1 second remaining. In two other games, McCaffery called timeouts before an opponent’s second free-throw attempt but not when the ball is in play.
Thursday, McCaffery was asked if he considered calling timeout before Uthoff’s final shot and the coach simply said, “No.”
McCaffery prefers to let his players make offensive decisions and plays on their own. Likewise, a timeout can allow a defense time to set up rather than adjust on the fly. But the late-game numbers the last three years indicate Iowa’s players struggle in the clutch. In those situations, Iowa is just 2 of 11 from the field with three turnovers and another situation that failed to net a shot.
Thursday’s loss adds to all of the others, but Gesell said the key is to stay positive.
“When you lose a game like that and you felt you should have won it, it’s always tough,” Gesell said. “I think we have a mature group of guys, guys with a lot of character. There’s a lot we can learn from this game.”
END-OF-GAME SITUATIONS
Despite giving up a 20-point second-half lead, Iowa still had an opportunity to beat No. 2-ranked Iowa State on the game’s final possession. But like so many late-game chances over the last few years, the Hawkeyes squandered it in an 83-82 loss.
Iowa State point guard Monte Morris’ jumper with 8.9 seconds left pushed the No. 2-ranked Cyclones ahead by one point. The Hawkeyes sprinted up the court, didn’t call timeout and Iowa point guard Mike Gesell found forward Jarrod Uthoff at the top of the key. Iowa guard Peter Jok screened Uthoff’s defender Matt Thomas, and Uthoff fired a 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left. The ball bounced off the front of the rim and time ran out. ISU prevailed.
“I thought it was good, too,” Uthoff said.
It’s just one of many last-second offensive failures by the Hawkeyes over the last three seasons. During that time frame, in games when Iowa (7-3) could win outright or tie on one possession in the final 15 seconds of regulation or overtime, the Hawkeyes have converted on just two of 14 opportunities (counting one game twice). Iowa holds a 3-10 record in those games.
In three of Iowa’s four losses this season — including Thursday’s defeat at Iowa State — the Hawkeyes had a chance to win or tie in the final seconds. Iowa trailed Dayton 80-77 at the AdvoCare Invitational, and Jok missed a 3-pointer with 4 seconds left. In a tie game at home last week against Florida State, Gesell bounced a pass off the back of the backboard with two seconds left.
Last year, Uthoff hit shots in end-of-game situations to either tie (at Northwestern) or win outright (at Minnesota). In four other games Iowa failed to convert in regulation — at Penn State, at Purdue, against Minnesota at home and against Syracuse at Madison Square Garden.
Four games and five opportunities were blown in 2013-14. Twice at home against Michigan State (regulation and overtime), the Hawkeyes failed to score in end-of-game situations. There was a turnover at home against Illinois inside of a second, a missed 3-pointer at Iowa State to tie and a missed shot against Xavier of an overtime victory.
Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery shuns timeouts in those situations and such was the case Thursday at Iowa State. In only one of those 14 situations did the Hawkeyes call for a timeout, and that was after Illinois drilled the go-ahead 3-pointer inside of 1 second remaining. In two other games, McCaffery called timeouts before an opponent’s second free-throw attempt but not when the ball is in play.
Thursday, McCaffery was asked if he considered calling timeout before Uthoff’s final shot and the coach simply said, “No.”
McCaffery prefers to let his players make offensive decisions and plays on their own. Likewise, a timeout can allow a defense time to set up rather than adjust on the fly. But the late-game numbers the last three years indicate Iowa’s players struggle in the clutch. In those situations, Iowa is just 2 of 11 from the field with three turnovers and another situation that failed to net a shot.
Thursday’s loss adds to all of the others, but Gesell said the key is to stay positive.
“When you lose a game like that and you felt you should have won it, it’s always tough,” Gesell said. “I think we have a mature group of guys, guys with a lot of character. There’s a lot we can learn from this game.”
