IOWA CITY, Iowa — Indiana men’s basketball’s five-game winning streak came to a screeching halt Saturday night, as the Hoosiers (13-4, 4-2 Big Ten) fell 85-60 to Iowa (12-4, 3-2 Big Ten) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.
The defeat marked Indiana’s largest in a true road game since Jan. 19, 2018, in a 28-point loss at Michigan State. It was the Hoosiers’ second-largest margin in a loss this season, and each of their four defeats have come by 16 or more points.
The Hawkeyes, who entered the day with the nation’s second-best scoring offense and the Big Ten’s best 3-point percentage, buried 11 triples and averaged 1.27 points per possession.
Indiana had 16 turnovers and shot just 40.7% from the field compared to Iowa’s 54.2%.
Redshirt sophomore guard Myles Rice led the Hoosiers in scoring, posting 12 points, while sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo added 10 points and 13 rebounds. No other Hoosiers scored in double figures.
Indiana scored the first 4 points of the contest, but by the under-16 media timeout, Iowa fifth-year senior guard Drew Thelwell elevated his arms toward the Hawkeye faithful, motioning for louder cheers after an 11-0 Hawkeye run. Iowa’s run capped at 21-4, giving the home team a decisive 21-8 edge.
But the Hoosiers didn’t go away. Highlighted by an 11-0 run of its own in just under three minutes, Indiana took a 24-23 lead with eight minutes remaining in the half. The Hawkeyes punched back, scoring 16 unanswered en route to a 41-28 advantage.
Iowa carried a 43-33 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Hoosiers were within striking distance — then suddenly, they weren’t.
The Hawkeyes outscored Indiana 22-7 over the first eight and a half minutes of the second half, making seven of their first 10 shots while going 4-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc.
Indiana’s deficit grew as large as 30 points, and the Hoosiers trailed by 20-plus points for the final 14 minutes, 41 seconds.
After winning nine of its last 10 games, Indiana fell emphatically Saturday night. The Hoosiers will fly back to Bloomington before hosting Illinois at 7 p.m. Tuesday inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa) and columnist Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
