CHAMPAIGN – A long, ugly losing streak was snapped by the Iowa men’s basketball team Saturday as they came up with a rare road win against the Illinois Fighting Illini behind 17 second-half points from Devyn Marble.
Iowa built a commanding 21-point lead in the first half, only to see it slip away behind aggressive play from Illinois. The refs let the two teams duke it out, and Illinois closed the gap to four at halftime, trailing Iowa 40-36.
In the second half, Illinois built a 5-point lead of its own, but it was short-lived, as Iowa had an answer every time. Gabe Olaseni continued to develop, turning in a very strong performance. The junior had career high with 15 points and 12 rebounds. He also chipped in 2 blocked shots. He had several key layups and put-backs that kept Iowa close when Illinois pressed for a larger lead.
Iowa ended the second half on a 15-4 run to claim its first win in Champaign since 1999.
Joseph Bertrand led Illinois with 20 points.
Iowa improves to 17-5 overall and 6-3 in the conference, alone in 3rd place behind Michigan and Michigan State.
Iowa next prepares for a home test against Ohio State on Tuesday.
Tough Road Win In A Hostile Environment. Heading Back To Iowa City With A W. On To The Next One. Go Hawks !!!
— Abodunrin G Olaseni (@agolaseni) February 2, 2014
httpv://youtu.be/UwpKrCZp_qg
