Iowa State Tops Iowa Despite 25 Points, 17 Boards from Aaron White

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, December 13, 2013

Junior forward, Aaron White, had the biggest game of his college career, but it wasn't enough, as the Iowa Hawkeyes fell to host Iowa State, 85-82.

This was a heavyweight match-up of Top 25 talent. The Cyclones came into the game ranked 17th nationally, the Hawkeyes, 23rd.

White scored a game-high 25 points on 11-for-15 shooting, making his only three-point attempt and hitting two of two from the foul line. He also was dominant on the boards, ripping down 17 rebounds as the Hawkeyes forged a 49-35 advantage on the glass.

Though White's effort resulted in personal career bests in both scoring and rebounding, the Cyclones reversed a 45-38 deficit at the break to draw even with the Hawkeyes midway through the second half, but fell behind, 82-77 with just under a minute-and-a-half left. Iowa State outscored the visitors 8-0 over the final 1:28 for their eighth victory without a loss as Georges Niang, who led the Cyclones with 24 points, scored the go-ahead bucket in the closing stretch, and added a pair free throws. The other four Iowa State points also came from the charity stripe.

Iowa fell to 10-2 on the season, their other loss an 88-83 overtime defeat to Villanova.

Iowa Dumps #18 Indiana Behind 30 From Matt Gatens

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, February 19, 2012

When talk turns to "bubble teams," there may be none more effervescent than the 14-15 (6-8 Big Ten) Iowa Hawkeyes, who turned their home court into an Indiana massacre scene Sunday, topping the youthful, 18th-ranked Hoosiers, 78-66, to keep their unlikely dream of reaching the NCAA tournament alive.

The Hawkeyes got 30 points from senior Matt Gatens, who was splashing from long range, making 7 of 10 3-pointers and 10 of 18 overall.

The 6'5" guard had his best game ever, his 30 points a career high, helping Iowa win its third game of the season against a ranked opponent. Earlier in the year, the Hawkeyes beat Wisconsin and Michigan, but have suffered a raft of losses - mostly on the road - to teams that will be going home in March instead of playing post-season hoops.

With just four games left on their regular season schedule, the Hawkeyes could make a bid if they can beat Wisconsin, Illinois, Northwestern and Nebraska and do well in the Big Ten tourney. Finishing over .500 is nearly a requisite for entry into the NCAA's, and the Hawkeyes still have an uphill climb.