When Bohannon struggles, so does Iowa men’s basketball
Hawkeyes broke nine-game win streak when Marion native makes multiple 3-pointers
By Tyler Devine
The Iowa men’s basketball team was 9-0 this season when Jordan Bohannon made multiple 3-pointers.
That streak ended Friday as the senior guard scored six points on two 3-point field goals as the seventh-ranked Hawkeyes lost 80-75 at No. 19 Illinois.
Iowa fell to 12-4 overall and 6-3 in Big Ten play.
Bohannon has scored a combined 15 points in Iowa’s four losses this season, including a zero-point effort against Indiana on Jan. 21, and has averaged 11 points per game in 12 Hawkeye wins.
“I don’t know,” Head coach Fran McCaffery said Friday when asked if there was anything to Bohannon’s cold streak in losses.
Iowa now has lost two consecutive games for the first time this season and broke a three-game Big Ten road win streak.
Bohannon scored in the single digits in five consecutive games before averaging 17 points per game during Iowa’s five-game winning streak that was ended by Indiana on Jan. 21.
Bohannon also dished out five assists to surpass Andre Woolridge for second on Iowa’s all-time list.
With seven seconds left in the second half and Iowa trailing 78-75, Bohannon missed a contested 3-pointer that would have tied the game.
The shot would have been difficult to make for anyone, even the all-time 3-point leader in school history.
Hot or cold, senior center Luka Garza said Bohannon is the one who should take the shot.
“You’ve got to run a play for that guy at that point,” Garza said. “He didn’t get the best look that he wanted, but we know in the future that he can make that. That’s a shot he can make. We all know it, and it was just unfortunate we weren’t able to help him out and get a rebound there.”