IOWA CITY, Ia. —Bryant McIntosh's hands fell to his knees. Chris Collins looked beyond exasperated. For the third game in a row, Northwestern was completely outmanned and overmatched, and the Wildcats fell to the No. 3 Iowa Hawkeyes, 85-71.
The game started out in familiar fashion on one end. Northwestern's defense, as it was against both Indiana and Michigan State, was abysmal. Jarrod Uthoff, one of the nation's best offensive players and best shooters, attempted 8 shots in the game's first 8:14, and not a single one of them was forced. Five of them were threes. However, Uthoff and his teammates missed some open shots early, Northwestern's offense looked fluid, and the Wildcats took an 18-14 lead on a Tre Demps three.