COLUMBUS, OHIO -- On Monday night, Iowa (13-8, 4-6) lost its fourth game in five contests, falling to Ohio State (12-8, 4-5) on the road, 82-65. Just six Hawkeyes scored in the loss, as Iowa racked up its fourth defeat of ten--plus points since the start of the new year,
Here are Three Takeaways from the loss.
Where's the Help?
Only six Hawkeyes scored in the loss to the Buckeyes, with four reaching double figures Drew Thelwell (20), Owen Freeman (14), Payton Sandfort (13) and Seydou Traore (13). Pryce Sandfort added two points and Carter Kingsbury chipped in a late three-pointer.
As a team, the Hawkeyes shot 24-of-61 (39.3%) from the field and 7-of-25 (28%) from three, while shooting 10-of-17 (58.8%) from the free throw line. The 65 points they scored were a season low.
"I just felt like we got a little rattled at times," Traore told Gary Dolphin after the game. "I know we're way better than what we showed today. We've got to get back in the gym and execute our plays and stuff. We've got to stay mentally strong and stay together."
The second half is where things got particularly out of hand for the Iowa offense, as the Hawkeyes trailed by just four at the break, 30-26. They were outscored 52-39 in the second half.
"We scored the first possession of the second half, and we felt good about it," Fran MCaffery said postgame. "They went on a little bit of a run. We didn't respond correctly in that stretch. ... When we were missing, we didn't get any back. We had seven offensive rebounds in the first half. We ended the game with seven offensive rebounds. When you have a stretch like we did there where the ball's not dropping, even when we're executing and getting good shots, you've got to go back and get one and put it back in. And that way you can get your defense back."
Josh Dix, arguably Iowa's best player, scored zero points on 0-of-7 shooting from the field.
If Iowa is going to put together its first win on the road, performances like what happened tonight from Dix and the supporting cast simply cannot happen. Dix, who is consistently one of the more efficient and consistent scorers in the Big Ten, has to get going, and get going quickly for the Hawkeyes to be effective offensively.
"Josh felt good. He doesn't hunt shots," McCaffery added. "He's not selfish in any way. He took good shots. I thought every shot that he took was going in, and not one of them did."
No Freeman, No Rim Protection
Freeman's offensive output -- 11 of his 14 points came in the first half -- might be considered the least important part of his contribution on the night. He led the way on the glass with eight rebounds, and finished at only -6 in the plus/minus ratings for the game.
His defensive presence around the rim kept the Hawkeyes within reach in the first half, but he only played nine minutes in the second half.
"He got a little bit tired," McCaffery said. "I would have put him back in, but he's got a couple things going on. At that point, I just went with Riley (Mulvey), and I thought he was really good."
Without Freeman on the floor, Iowa's ability to defend near the cup greatly suffered. In Ladji Dembele's minimal five minutes (all in the first half), the Hawkeyes were outscored by ten points.
But Freeman can only do so much.
"When Owen is running, and he's screening, and he's rolling hard, he's tough to stop," McCaffery said. "If he starts to get a little winded, then it's not quite the same. I just have to make sure I get him enough rest."
Another Blowout Road Loss
First, Iowa lost to Wisconsin in Madison. Then USC and UCLA on the trip to California, and now, a fourth loss of 10+ points on the road for Iowa. The defeat at the hands of the Buckeyes was the third of 17+ points over the stretch of road losses.
Iowa isn't just 0-5 on the road. They're getting clobbered every time they step into a Big Ten opponent's arena. It isn't going to get any easier for the Hawkeyes going forward, either:
McCaffery's emphasis to the team following the game was that there needs to be some significant change if the Hawkeyes are to right the ship.
"We always remain positive, but we have to do a better job on the road where the team goes on a run," he said. "We have to be able to manage that situation better. We need some leadership there, and we've got to be able to get stops when the ball's not dropping."
"There's still a lot of basketball left," Traore added. "We can't hold our heads down. We've just got to keep getting better."
NEXT: Iowa will take on No. 10 Purdue (16-5, 8-2) at home on Tuesday, February 4 at home. The game will be broadcast on Peacock at 6 pm CT.
