Badgers Drop Big Ten Opener At Iowa, 69-57
January 02, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Despite a 22-point effort from two-time Big Ten Player of the Week Kirk Penney, the Wisconsin men's basketball team lost a 69-57 decision to ninth-ranked Iowa tonight at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Seniors Luke Recker and Reggie Evans teamed up to give the Hawkeyes 44 points with Recker scoring a game-high 23 while Evans added a double-double with 21 points and 17 rebounds.
After trailing by as many as 14 points early in the second half, Wisconsin (7-7 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) cut the deficit to 48-45 with 12:10 remaining and was only down by four, at 55-51, with 6:40 to play. Iowa (12-3, 1-0) used an 8-2 run over the next three minutes to extend its lead to 10 points and then converted free throws down the stretch to stave off the Badgers.
Penney, who made 9-of-16 attempts from the field for his fourth 20-plus scoring effort in the last five games, also gathered eight rebounds to lead the Badgers off the glass and tied a career-best with a team-high three steals. Wisconsin also got a double-digit scoring effort from freshman Devin Harris, who made 4-of-11 field goals, including a pair of threes, and drained all four of his free throws.
The Badgers were outrebounded 41-33 and gave up 15 offensive boards that resulted in 13 second-chance points for the Hawkeyes.
Wisconsin returns home to take on No. 7 Illinois (12-2, 1-0) at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Kohl Center.
