Hawkeye Wrestlers Sweep Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls
By Kif Richmann
The University of Iowa Hawkeye wrestling team hit the road last night for Cedar Falls, and the meet couldn’t have gone much smoother for the Hawks, as they blanked the Panthers 39-0.
Sophomore wrestler Jeret Chiri (149) picked up a much needed pin for the Hawkeyes (Benjamin Roberts/ Press-Citizen)
Tony Ramos started the meet with four take downs and a major decision over Ryan Jauch of the Panthers. Ramos, who has started at the 133 spot since getting the nod on November 26th against Cornell College, is 4-0 on the season. Ramos’ four wins include three major decisions and a tech fall.
Jeret Chiri finally got things going for himself when he pinned UNI’s Jamal Lawrence in 5:59. This is exactly what Chiri needed to stay in the starting lineup as Last weekend Chiri was defeated by major decision twice, and reports were circulating that Chiri could be replaced by Matt Ballweg until starter Dylan Carew returns from injury.
At 165, Aaron Janssen took the mat for a 4-0 decision. The 165 spot has been up in the air all season, as Janssen and Jake Kerr have gone back and forth, and but neither one has stepped up and fully grasped the spot.
In the only match between two ranked wrestlers, Iowa’s heavyweight Blake Rasing plodded his way to a 2-0 victory over Panther wrestler Christian Brantley. After a scoreless first, Brantley chose to go down but was unable to escape from underneath Rasing. An early escape from Rasing in the third left the Hawkeye heavyweight with a bonus riding time point and a 2-0 victory.
Star wrestler Matt McDonough picked up his first pin of the season as he took out Terrance Young in the first period. McDonough is ranked number one in every major poll and is a favorite to win a repeat championship at collegiate wrestling’s lightest weight.
#7 Iowa 39, Northern Iowa 0
133 – Tony Ramos (Iowa) maj. dec. Ryan Jauch (Northern Iowa), 12-3
141 – Mark Ballweg (Iowa) dec. Aaron Senzee (Northern Iowa), 3-0
149 – Jeret Chiri (Iowa) pinned Jamal Lawrence (Northern Iowa), 5:59
157 – Derek St. John (Iowa) dec. David Bonin (Northern Iowa), 8-4
165 – Aaron Janssen (Iowa) dec. Nick Pickerell (Northern Iowa), 4-0
174 – Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) maj. dec. Brice Wolf (Northern Iowa), 16-5
184 – Grant Gambrall (Iowa) dec. Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa), 4-2
197 – Luke Lofthouse (Iowa) maj. dec. Joe Johnson (Northern Iowa), 19-7
Hwt. – Blake Rasing (Iowa) dec. Christian Brantley (Northern Iowa), 2-0
125 – Matt McDonough (Iowa) pinned Terrance Young (Northern Iowa), 1:12
Now the Hawkeyes are left with 20 days off before traveling to Evanston for the Midlands Championships. The Hawkeyes have won three Midlands titles in a row, and were a second place finish in 2006, just under Iowa State.
Iowa Slows Down UNI
By: Mike Rabon
Melsahn Basabe shooting over Lucas O'Rear (Photo by Brian Ray/The Gazette via thegazette.com)
Defense and post play defined Iowa’s 51-39 victory over in-state rival Northern Iowa. Center Jarryd Cole and Forward Melsahn Basabe led the way combining for 24 points and 22 rebounds. Eric May contributed 9 points and Bryce Cartwright added 8 points and 6 assists.
On a frigid evening outside, neither team could find a hotstreak from the floor inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Ben Jacobson’s Panthers were a putrid 15 of 55 from the field (27.3%) and the Hawkeyes only faired marginally better shooting 18-45 (40%).
Freshman Melsahn Basabe nailed a jumpshot at the 13:04 mark of the first half to give Iowa a 7-2 lead. Cartwright’s assist on the play foreshadowed a combination that would lead the Hawkeyes to victory. With the Hawks trailing 19-18 Cartwright and Basabe connected for another easy layup. Basabe missed the free throw after a foul by UNI’s Austin Pehl but the Hawks regained the lead at 20-19.
Iowa opened up the second half on an 11-2 run led by Basabe and Cartwright once again. Throughout the game, Jarryd Cole was key in gathering rebounds and eliminating second chance opportunities for the Panthers.
At the 8:24 mark of the second half Iowa led UNI 43-38 and neither team scored again until Matt Gatens drained a long 3-point shot with 2:53 left. Gatens only had 6 points but this shot was crucial in burying the scrappy panthers.
Free throw shooting will be a point of emphasis for the Hawkeyes before they play host to Iowa State on Friday night. The Hawkeyes were just 12-23 from the charity stripe and failed to widen the margin in the final minutes against the Panthers.
UNI shot only 17.9% from the field in the second half and ended the game 6-30 from 3-point range. Jake Koch and Kwadzo Ahelegbe both scored 11 points but the Panthers were held to under 50 points for the first time in the young season.
Fran McCaffery and the Hawks avenged the 67-50 loss in the McCleod Center a season ago and prepare for Fred Hoiberg’s reformed Cyclone team on Friday evening. The Cyclones defeated the Hawkeyes 81-71 last season in Ames.
Cartwright Engineers Victory for the Hawks
By: Mike Rabon
Bryce Cartwright (Photo by Ben Roberts via hawkcentral.com)
Gatens for 3….Good! Assist by Bryce Cartwright. Iowa led Idaho State 33-7 with 5:29 remaining in the first half and all signs pointed to a route until 6 seconds later when Kenny McGowen drained a 21 foot basket. With 10:15 left in the Second Half Deividas Busma punched in a 2-point layup to cap a 35 -15 run for the Bengals.
48-42 the score read in Carver-Hawkeye Arena leaving Hawk fans listening on the radio and in attendance stunned at the impending metldown. During the next four minutes the teams traded baskets until finally Andrew Brommer created a turnover and dished the ball to Bryce Cartwright for a 2-point layup. ISU Head Coach Joe O’Brien called a timeout with 6:09 left in the half.
Fortunately, Iowa continued to respond and extended the lead to 65-53 with 1:25 left in the half. Senior Jarryd Cole made a layup, drained a free throw and Bryce Cartwright nailed a 2-point jumpshot, assisted by Eric May.
As the clock ran out on Idaho State, the final score read 70-53. Eric May accentuated the victory with a thunderous dunk in the final minute leaving Hawkeye fans excited about the finish but wary about the scant performance in the second half.
Bryce Cartwright scored in double-digits for the 5th straight game but the indelible mark he placed on this game resided in the assist department. A season high, 8 assist performance, faciliated the play of Eric May, Matt Gatens and Jarryd Cole.
Matt Gatens struggled from behind the arch but ended the game with 14 points, 5 assists and 5 steals. Eric May finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists.
Iowa’s defense held Idaho State to a coarse 38% shooting and forced 23 turnovers. ISU Guard Broderick Gilchrest played all 40 minutes and scored 14 points but to his detriment turned the ball over 8 times.
Saturday’s game was reminiscent of Iowa’s second half debalce against Wake Forest in terms of protracted scoring droughts, turnovers in the second half and a lack of leadership. Idaho State does not have a wealth of talent like Wake Forest and this was acute in the final stages of the second half in terms of turnovers and sloppy ball handling.
Nonetheless, Iowa moves to 4-4 on the young season and will welcome intrastate rival Northern Iowa to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Tuesday night at 7:05pm. Northern Iowa defeated TCU on Saturday 64-60 and smothered Iowa State at the McCleod Center 60-54 on December 1st. The Hawkeyes suffered a humiliating 67-50 loss to Northern Iowa a season ago and look to reclaim preeminence in the state of Iowa.
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