Iowa 51, UNI 39

I hate UNI’s men’s basketball team — so much so I had agreed to give the tickets to tonight’s intrastate rivalry to my sister and Saucy. However, they could not make it, so Bobblehead and I ensured the tickets would not go to waste.

Though UNI has become a perennial MVC and tourney contender, witnessing a rare loss to the Panthers at Carver would have made me sick. (My animosity goes way back, when I was just a little Hawkeye basketball fan.) However, I did not have to worry about it tonight. Not only was UNI ice cold from the field in the second half (an abysmal 17.9 percent), but the Hawks clamped down on defense, utilizing zone, man-to-man, and the trap to throw the Panthers off rhythm. UNI slowed the game to their pace and the Hawks adjusted well to post a 51-39 win.

The result was a very pleasant surprise, and I emerged from the arena happy to have seen something so unexpected. Truly, I had no clue what to expect from the Hawks tonight, but was sure their effort would not be enough to match the veteran Panthers. However, the Hawks played smart and deliberately. They shot like shit from the line and behind the arc, which could doom them later in the season (especially from the free throw stripe), but they chose high percentage shots. Bryce Cartwright made his mark at point guard, and Jarryd Cole had probably the best game of his college career. He secured a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds. He also added a steal to his stats in the second half when he made an improbable reach to knock the ball away from his man and dove for the loose ball. Basabe led all scorers with 14 points.

Fran McCaffery has his first two-game winning streak as a Hawkeye. At 5-4, the Hawkeyes have their first winning record since February 2009. Way to go, Hawks.

The crowd tonight was pegged at 10,667. From what it looked like in the stands, I think that was the actual, not paid, attendance. There were surprisingly few Panther fans, which I loved. At points, the roar of the Hawkeye faithful was louder than I have heard it in years. People were engrossed and passionate, including myself. I don’t think I have ever yelled or clapped my support more than I did tonight, probably to the detriment of the people ahead of me. (The couple sitting in front of me left and, presumably, found other seats at halftime. I really hope it was not because of me.) I didn’t say anything bad — just a number of “Come on, Hawks!” or “Defense!” and a couple loud claps, which I suppose can be annoying. As a kid, I always admired the hawking Hawk fans, whose lone voices rang down from the rows above us (and, just as now, there were not many rows above us). Does that kind of vocal encouragement do any good? Maybe. The players interviewed on the post-game radio show said they appreciated the support tonight. I was happy to give it.