Jok’s 29 points lead Iowa over Rutgers

Williams led four Rutgers players in double figures with 17 points. Outside of an 83-82 loss to Iowa State in early December, a game which they should have won, the Hawkeyes are in the midst of winning 11 of 12 games overall, including seven straight.

Jonathan Laurent, back after missing four games with a concussion, added 14 points for the Scarlet Knights, who have lost their past 22 conference games, including tournament play. “We wanted to come out here and work on us and not worry about the score from last game”. Frankly, we’re most curious to see which members of the bench mob get chances to play tonight and how they look.

“It’s a challenge to go on the road and they did what they had to do to get the win”, said UI head coach Fran McCaffery. McCaffery said. “We had a fight on our hands”.

Iowa has a rim protector in 7-foot-1 Adam Woodbury and after that it’s a slough of five other guys that average 5 points per game or better. “It was getting on my nerves, because I don’t like trading baskets with teams, especially the number nine team in the nation … but I think this game we showed everybody that, ‘okay, we’re undermanned, our record is bad, but we’re gonna keep fighting no matter what”.

That’s the most wins to start conference play for the Hawkeyes since the 1986-87 season. He scored 10 of the Hawkeyes first 13 points and his last basket cut short Rutgers final rally. On a night when at the 8,000-seat arena that was maybe half full, the Hawkeyes squelched any sliver of Rutgers momentum with 11 3-pointers.

“You have to give credit to Rutgers”, said Clemmons. The Hawkeyes should be able to beat up on Rutgers inside and take advantage around the glass. Jok and Clemmons combined for 32 of Iowa’s 45 first-half points.

Mike Williams had 17 points to lead Rutgers (6-14, 0-7), which was coming off a 50-point loss to No. 22 Purdue on Monday, its worst home loss.

Rutgers visits MI on Wednesday.

It helps that Jok has a solid group of seniors around him like 6-11 fifth-year senior forward Jarrod Uthoff, the Big Ten’s leading scorer, averaging 18.6 points per game. The total was one less than their season high. It’s the third straight game Iowa has hit 10 or more from long range.

The Scarlet Knights still didn’t back down and closed to within eight (80-72) with 4:15 remaining.

Germany-born Point Pleasant Beach High School graduate Dom Uhl finished with three points for Iowa.