| Date: November 29, 2003 | Score: Iowa 70, Louisville 69 (OT) |
| Leading Scorers: U of L: Luke Whitehead (18) Iowa: Greg Brunner (26) |
|
| For the second year in a row, the Cards opened their regular season in Indianapolis in the John Wooden Tradition against a Big Ten team, only to lose when a last-second shot failed to drop. It was a thrilling game, however, and one the Cardinals clearly can build on, though their weakness in the frontcourt hurt them dearly. Kendall Dartez and Otis George both fouled out in only 27 minutes of combined action, and between them had no points and no rebounds. This was extra costly because Iowa used its frontcourt strength to score time and again inside the paint, outscoring U of L there 40-18. Iowa also outrebounded U of L 45-32. Greg Brunner led all scorers with a career-high 26 points. |
| After a long three-pointer from Brody Boyd, who had 22 for Iowa, put the Hawkeyes up 55-47 with 8:28 remaining, Pitino went to a smaller line-up and shifted Whitehead to center. A Whitehead dunk off a lob from Nate Daniels capped a 7-0 Cardinal run; Whitehead had another double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. With 2:47 left and Iowa in the lead again at 63-58, Daniels scored on a a lay-up. Whitehead saved the ball from going out of bounds after a missed three-pointer by Taquan Dean, then got the ball back to Dean, who drilled a three to tie it with 53 seconds left. Dean finished 5-7 from three-point range and had 17 points on the game. Iowa missed two shots to win the game in regulation, but then scored the first six in overtime before Larry O'Bannon tied it with back-to-back three-pointers. On the game, U of L had 11 threes and 12 two-pointers, and at one stretch went 14 minutes without getting a field goal from within 17 feet.
|
With the score tied at 69, Dean found Whitehead along the baseline for a dunk, but it was discounted because he had stepped on the out of bounds line before making his move to the basket. Whitehead played all but 26 seconds of the game, most out of position in the center slot. Iowa's Pierre Pierce made one of two free throws with 9.2 seconds left to give the Hawkeyes a 70-69 lead. Pierce drew the fifth foul on Kendall Dartez after moving past O'Bannon, who twisted his ankle ealier in the possession. Francisco Garcia grabbed the rebound after Pierce missed his second free throw, drove the ball downcourt and fed it to Nate Daniels, who missed the open 10-footer. Dean was open in the corner, but Garcia, who had 17 points, didn't see him. Iowa kept U of L in the game by shooting a woeful 13-24 from the foul line.  |
