Kobe King (Photo by David Stluka)
The Wisconsin Badgers blew a 12-point second half lead, falling to the 18th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes 68-62 at Carver Hawkeye Arena on Monday night.
The Hawkeyes (15-5, 6-3 Big Ten) trailed 57-45 with 7:13 left to play before going on a 19-2 run. Joe Toussaint’s layup and free throw with 1:20 to go gave Iowa a 60-59 lead, and the Hawkeyes never trailed again.
The Badgers hit just 2 of its last 9 shots and Iowa finished the game on a 23-5 run.
Iowa struggled offensively most of the night, hitting just 20 of 60 (33%) from the field and 3 of 20 (15%) from three-point range.
The game was tied 30-30 at halftime, but the Badgers opened the second half on a 18-8 run and stayed in control until Iowa’s late rally.
Luka Garza had 21 points points and 18 rebounds to lead the Hawkeyes. D’Mitrik Trice had 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists to lead the Badgers.
The Badgers played short-handed after Kobe King didn’t make the trip for personal reasons. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that King is frustrated with the direction of the team this season.
King started 19 games this season and is averaging 10 points a game.
“We’ll wait,” Greg Gard said. “He’s back in Madison, dealing with a personal matter. There’s really no timeline on him.”
The Badgers return to action on Saturday, playing host to Michigan State in a noon tip at the Kohl Center.