STATE COLLGE, PA – Junior Kris Murray scored a game and career-best 32 points, but a huge halftime deficit was too much for Iowa to overcome in a Big Ten road game loss to Penn State, 83-79, Sunday.
Iowa trailed at halftime by 18 points, digging a hole with poor shooting. A second-half surge came up short. Since Iowa routed #20 Iowa State, 75-56, back in December, the Hawkeyes have lost 4 of their last 5 games, including now an 0-3 start in conference play.
Murray has tallied 30+ points three times (31 vs. Georgia Tech; 30 vs. Omaha). Murray scored 22 of his 32 points in the second half. He has tallied 20+ points a team-best five times and reached double figures a team-best 11 times this season. He also grabbed a team-best nine rebounds.
Senior Filip Rebraca and junior Tony Perkins reached double figures in scoring for the 11th and ninth time, respectively, this season. Rebraca netted 13 points, while Perkins scored 17.
Five of the last seven Iowa-PSU games, including today, have been decided by seven points or less.
Iowa made six of its seven 3-pointers in the second half.
Today was Iowa’s 11th game played on New Year’s Day in program history and first time away from home on New Year’s Day since 1940.
Sunday’s game is the only regular season meeting between the two teams.
Junior center Josh Ogundele was unavailable today due to injury (knee).
Iowa (8-6, 0-3) returns home after consecutive road games, hosting nationally-ranked Indiana (10-3, 1-1) on Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:07 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
