Iowa Remains Winless on Road With Loss to Minnesota

Just hours after head coach Ben McCollum warned that his No. 19 Iowa Hawkeyes could potentially hit a wall in their road matchup against the unranked Minnesota Golden Gophers, the coach's pessimistic pregame interview came to unfortunate life as the team fell short away from home.

Citing the Gophers' (still) undefeated record at home, as well as Iowa's own winless record in true road environments, McCollum bluntly stated the possibility that the team may not pull through.

"I would assume our guys are going to be ready to go, but we'll find out (tonight)," he mused in a retrospectively ominous manner.

To a final score of 70-67, the Hawkeyes trailed for the majority of what was a quintessential B1G road game. As one of the nation's most notoriously tough conferences, the B1G has become this year what the Southeastern Conference (SEC) was last year; among much else, a hyper-competitive league in which just about anything can happen.

For Iowa, this defeat specifically came down to a sour mixture of poor, inconsistent play on offense and a free throw discrepancy that often comes with a road-bound task like this one.

Final Score: Minnesota 70, Iowa 67
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) January 7, 2026

Behind the Numbers

At one point in the second half of the Hawkeyes vs. Gophers clash, Minnesota had attempted 14 free throws. Iowa, at the same interval? Just three. Say what you will about the game's trends, but any team who finds themselves in such a statistical hole, whilst also trailing on the scoreboard, will be in a bad spot.

Even so, in spite of trailing by as much as 14, Iowa cut the deficit down in the final minutes and, at one point just beyond the 2:00 mark, pulled within a single point.

But a late triple from the Gophers and a fumbled offensive rebound immediately thereafter would send the Hawkeyes home in the end. It was a classic case of "too little, too late."

Jan 6, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Isaac Asuma (1) works around Iowa Hawkeyes guard Kael Combs (11) during the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Too Little, Too Late

Having trailed by seven at halftime (31-24), Iowa managing to outscore the Gophers by a thin margin in the latter half of the matchup meant little for the final result. Even as senior guard Bennett Stirtz came alive - finishing with 21 points - his slow start relegated a team reliant on him to certain doom.

Things won't get any easier for Iowa going forward as they continue to trudge through their conference schedule, although returning home to face the No. 16 Illinois Fightin Illini this weekend should at least provide some extra solace in the presence of an ever-growing fanbase.

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