By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team was unable to put a ribbon on the end of its non-conference schedule as the Hawkeyes of the University of Iowa took down the Golden Eagles in Carver-Hawkeye Arena Tuesday evening, 85-63.
A tightly contested affair through much of the first half, the Hawkeyes caught fire down the stretch leading into the break, turning a 12-12 tie into a 43-21 halftime advantage.
That 10-minute stretch proved to be the difference in the contest, with Tech matching Iowa's offensive output in the second half. Each side put up 42 points in the final 20 minutes. On the glass, Iowa owned a slight 41-37 advantage, including a three-board swing on the offensive end. Iowa also forced the Golden Eagles into 18 turnovers while making just 10 of its own.
For the game, the Hawkeyes outshot the Golden Eagles from the field and downtown, recording percentages of 45.7 and 36.7, respectively. Tech came away from Iowa City shooting 38.6 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Senior Torrance Rowe led the Tech scoring effort, posting 15 points while dishing out three assists and hauling in four rebounds. Junior Hakeem Rogers added 13 points off the bench, grabbing two steals and dishing out three dimes. He also ripped down a career-high six rebounds.
Peter Jok provided the top scoring effort for Iowa, leading all scorers with 21 points after hitting five treys. Nicholas Bear knocked down three attempts from downtown and finished 8-of-10 from the field to a tune of 19 points.
The Golden Eagles will return to action on Thursday, Dec. 31 by opening Ohio Valley Conference play with doubleheader action in the Eblen Center against Eastern Illinois. The Tech women's team will kick things off at 1 p.m. CST with the men following at approximately 3 p.m.
Photo by Andy Mitchell
