By JOHN BOHNENKAMP Two of the nation’s top point guards will match up in Iowa’s game at Purdue on Wednesday. Their impacts, Iowa coach Ben McCollum said on Tuesday, are different. Purdue’s Braden Smith and Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz are both … Continue reading Purdue’s Actions Will Test Hawkeyes
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP Mia Nicastro’s approach to every game is the same. “I kind of like to come into every game with the mentality and the mindset that I’m the best player on the floor,” the Western Illinois senior forward … Continue reading THE MONDAY TIPOFF: ‘Superstar’ Nicastro Has The Mindset, And The Numbers To Go With It
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP IOWA CITY, Iowa — The final deficit was six points, and Ben McCollum knew where to find them. Iowa’s 75-69 loss to Illinois at Carver-Hawkeye Arena was frustrating for the first year coach of the Hawkeyes, who … Continue reading ILLINOIS 75, IOWA 69: The Finishing Pieces Are Elusive For Hawkeyes
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP MACOMB, Ill. — It was the kind of game where one could look at the box score and find the points that got away. Western Illinois’ men’s basketball team fell 59-54 to Tennessee Tech on Saturday at Western Hall. It was the sixth consecutive loss for the Leathernecks (4-13), who dropped to 0-6 in Ohio Valley Conference play. The Leathernecks opened the game with an 8-0 run, led by as much as 10 points late in the first half before leading 26-18 at halftime, and then let the Golden Eagles (7-10, 2-4) come back in the second … Continue reading TENNESSEE TECH 59, WIU 54: Leathernecks’ Losing Streak Gets More Frustrating
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP MACOMB, Ill. — Western Illinois’ women’s basketball team won’t be back at Western Hall for a while. But the Leathernecks leave for a four-game road trip at the top of the Ohio Valley Conference standings. Mia Nicastro scored 25 points as the Leathernecks defeated Tennessee Tech 77-60 on Saturday. Western Illinois, 13-2 overall, is tied for the OVC lead with Southern Indiana with a 5-1 league mark. The Leathernecks’ upcoming road trip will end with a January 24 game against the Screaming Eagles. “I think this win, more than any others we probably had, has kind of … Continue reading WIU 77, TENNESSEE TECH 60: Leathernecks Hit The Road
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP MACOMB, Ill. — There is no panic in Western Illinois’ women’s basketball team, and that comes from the Leathernecks’ experience. It’s why it didn’t take long for them to dig out of a first-quarter deficit and take … Continue reading WIU 76, TENNESSEE STATE 59: No Panic In Veteran Leathernecks
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP MACOMB, Ill. — Isaiah Griffin knows how quickly a season can flip. Griffin was on an Idaho State team two seasons ago that finished 14-20 and went 7-11 in Big Sky Conference play. But the Vandals got hot in the conference tournament, winning two games to reach the semifinals as the eighth seed in the 10-team event. It’s why Griffin, now playing at Western Illinois, is telling his teammates to keep working this season despite their current record. “I’m one of the older guys, I’ve played a lot,” Griffin said after the Leathernecks fell to Tennessee State … Continue reading TENNESSEE STATE 90, WIU 68: Leathernecks’ Skid Hits Five Games
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP It was a timeout that was needed, but Ben McCollum knew it wasn’t a good time for his voice. Iowa’s 21-point lead from early in the second half of Saturday’s game against UCLA at Carver-Hawkeye Arena had … Continue reading THE MONDAY TIPOFF: Hawkeyes Have Found Their Pulse In First Season Under McCollum
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP IOWA CITY, Iowa — Ben McCollum has coached Bennett Stirtz long enough to know the point guard needs to be on the floor no matter what. So, when Stirtz picked up his fourth foul with 8:23 left … Continue reading IOWA 74, UCLA 61: The Right Call At The Right Time
By JOHN BOHNENKAMP IOWA CITY, Iowa — It was 5 minutes and 44 seconds that Jan Jensen thinks can last the rest of the season. That was the time it took for Iowa’s women’s basketball team to break open a … Continue reading IOWA 86, NEBRASKA 76: Hawkeyes’ Final Run May Be A Sign Of What’s To Come
Iowa College Hoops 