Iowa cruises to 92-58 win over Alabama State (Nov 12, 2017)
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) Iowa's free throw woes continued Sunday, as the Hawkeyes went just 17-of-33 behind the line against Alabama State. That didn't matter too much, though, as the Hawkeyes put on a show in their 92-58 routing of the Hornets.
Newcomer Luke Garza led Iowa's charge over Alabama State, scoring 11 points to go with 13 rebounds Sunday.
Though the freshman shot just 2 of 8 from the field, he added seven points from the free throw line on 11 attempts.
Garza's 13 boards were the most for any player in the game, and 5 of them came offensively - also the most for either team. That number is something he prides himself on.
''I've just been doing that since I was a little kid. It's one of the things I pride myself on doing, going to the offensive glass,'' Garza said. ''It's all about effort, especially on the boards. I've been taught that my whole life, by every single coach and all my family, and I just kind of am where the ball is.''
The Hawkeyes (2-0) found plenty of use out of their bench, as 10 players got at least 10 minutes of playing time. Few members of the team played more than 20 minutes - Cordell Pemsl saw the most time, getting 24 minutes on the floor while putting up 15 points and grabbing five rebounds. Thirteen Hawkeyes got out on the floor, including rarely-used Charlie Rose and Riley Till.
Alabama State's Tobi Ewuosho and Branden Johnson struggled to keep their team in the game, notching 13 points apiece. Reginald Gee added 15 more for the Hornets (0-2).
Iowa freshman Connor McCaffery missed his second straight game with a sprained ankle, but he is expected to make his debut Thursday against Grambling State.
''He's making progress. I expect him back on Thursday,'' Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said about his son. ''It's not set yet He couldn't have played today as much as he wanted to, but he was in working hard, working the treadmill today, so we'll do some running tomorrow, then some shooting, then some cutting, We'll try to practice maybe Tuesday. If not, Wednesday.''
THE BIG PICTURE
Iowa: The game gave the Hawkeyes a chance to showcase some of the depth they have on the bench, and those who came in after the starters performed well enough to continue out-scoring the Hornets.
Alabama State: After an 8-23 record last season, Alabama State has now lost its second consecutive game to start the season. The Hornets schedule will not get much easier over the next week, as they travel to South Dakota State and Oregon in the next five days.
SHARING IS CARING
Iowa had no trouble moving the ball around. The Hawkeyes combined for 25 assists throughout the game.
Forward Ahmad Wagner said the whole team has no problem spreading the wealth when it comes to scoring.
''I think it's that guys like getting assists just like they like scoring. Assists are a big part of the game,'' Wagner said. ''All the guys, we love passing. It's a great group to play with, people who are like that.''
KEY NUMBERS
More than half of Iowa's points came from the bench. Seven non-starters combined for 49 points.
. Alabama State turned the ball over 17 times and allowed the Hawkeyes to capitalize for 33 points off of those turnovers.
. The Hornets had most of their luck in the paint, putting up 36 of their 52 near the rim. Iowa just barely outperformed Alabama State in that category, scoring 38 in the paint.
UP NEXT
Iowa hosts Grambling State on Thursday.
Alabama State heads to South Dakota State to take on the Jackrabbits on Tuesday.
