Iowa men's basketball takeaways: Blown layups make for heart-wrenching loss to Oregon

Iowa men’s basketball takeaways: Blown layups make for heart-wrenching loss to Oregon

Posted by author February 20, 2025 Basketball

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IOWA CITY — During the final minute of Wednesday’s contest against Oregon, Iowa basketball came within inches of tying the score.

Twice.

And for the second time in the last three games, Iowa rallied back from a halftime deficit.

Last week, the Hawkeyes went into the halftime break trailing by nine points but outscored the Scarlet Knights by 20 in the second half en route to their first true road victory of the season.

On Wednesday, Iowa went into halftime down by eight against Oregon. But the Hawkeyes climbed back into the game again and even took the lead multiple times. But this time, they weren’t able to finish the job.

In a dramatic final minute, Iowa squandered two golden opportunities to tie the game.

Leading by two with less than one minute remaining, Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad seemed to hit a 3-point dagger right before the shot clock expired. But the play was reviewed and the shot was wiped off, giving the Hawkeyes life.

On the ensuing possession, Payton Sandfort had a layup attempt spin right around the rim but it didn’t fall through the net.

Later, with Oregon up by two and less than 20 seconds remaining, the Ducks turned the ball over. That opened the door for Iowa yet again. Josh Dix had great look around the rim but it didn’t drop again.

“I thought it was going in,” Dix said. “I thought Payton’s was going in, too. Those are looks we’ll live with. We’ll make them next time, for sure.”

Even after all that, Iowa still had another chance. Dix’s 3-point attempt was blocked and Oregon came away with a 80-78 Big Ten Conference victory.

The Hawkeyes have lost eight of their last 10 games. Iowa is 14-12 overall, including 5-10 in the Big Ten.

“They want it badly and I want it badly for them,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said of Wednesday’s loss. “We were in a position to get one and we didn’t. But we fought all the way to the end. We executed coming down the stretch. We had some really good looks. Not just the last two (layups) that we missed. Before that, I thought they really executed well.”

Video: Josh Dix, Even Brauns talk heartbreaking loss to Oregon

Josh Dix and Even Brauns discuss Iowa basketball’s 80-78 loss to Oregon.

Sandfort and Dix are dynamic duo

Though Sandfort and Dix weren’t able to convert on those crucial looks around the rim late in the game, they played very good games.

Sandfort and Dix have had some stellar performances this season. They combined for 61 points against Nebraska, 50 against Purdue and 46 against Rutgers. Wednesday was another excellent showing.

Sandfort (25 points) and Dix (19) combined for 44 against Oregon. Sandfort was 9-of-16 from the field while adding five rebounds and five assists. That tandem combined for 44 of Iowa’s 78 points on Wednesday.

Even Brauns was the third-leading scorer for the Hawkeyes with 15.

But other than that, Iowa did not get a whole lot of help. That’s where missing Owen Freeman looms large. The Iowa big man, who is done for the season after undergoing finger surgery, could’ve provided a legitimate third-scoring option if available.

Nate Bittle was a difference-maker for Oregon

The Oregon big man put on a standout performance.

He came into Wednesday’s contest averaging 12.6 points per game. Against Iowa, he had 14 points in the first half alone. Bittle finished with 21 points on an efficient 8-of-13 from the field.

Bittle’s stat line was relevant to the discrepancy in paint points between the two teams. Oregon outscored Iowa 38-24 in points in the paint. The Ducks were commanding on the interior.

Ducks dominated the boards, too

Iowa’s lack of rebounding was an important factor in Wednesday’s outcome.

Oregon grabbed 14 offensive rebounds, which it turned into 19 second-chance points. Overall, the Ducks outrebounded the Hawkeyes 36-27.

The Hawkeyes are just not very well-equipped on the boards, especially without Freeman. Ladji Dembele was Iowa’s leading rebounder on Wednesday night, tallying six.

Iowa’s defense is already not great as is, and giving up multiple chances on the same trip down the floor makes matters worse. So even though Iowa held Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad to just three points on 0-of-7 from the field on Wednesday, the Ducks were able to compensate for that lack of scoring punch some with second-chance points.

The Hawkeyes thrive when they can grab a defensive rebound and get out in transition. That’s difficult to do when you give up second-chance opportunities.

Brauns was a spark off the bench

His minutes were important as Iowa continues to try to patch together a rotation in the absence of Freeman. On Wednesday, Brauns had 15 points and three rebounds.

Brauns was assertive offensively. Though Ladji Dembele started the game, Brauns played in crunch time. Brauns’ 15 points was a season-high.

“He was aggressive,” McCaffery said of Brauns. “And that’s what I’ve been trying to get him to do. Obviously in his defense, he needs more minutes to do that. But he has it in him. And he was terrific tonight. I’m really proud of him.”

It is now back-to-back games in which Brauns has scored at least six points.

Drew Thelwell’s quiet return

After missing the last two games due to an ankle injury, Thelwell was back in action and reinserted into the starting lineup.

Iowa went with a starting five of Thelwell, Dix, Sandfort, Seydou Traore and Dembele.

Thelwell didn’t produce much in his return. He finished the contest with two rebounds, one assist and was held scoreless.

“He worked really hard to get back,” McCaffery said. “He wants to be out there. He wants to contribute. I thought in practice (Tuesday) he was just OK. Because he had to get his game back and he’ll get there. I think he’ll be better over the weekend.”

Iowa didn’t get enough from its point guard play. After starting the last two games in Thelwell’s absence, Brock Harding came off the bench on Wednesday. Harding, who was in down the stretch, finished the game with five points and two assists.

Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com