Iowa delivers postseason urgency after first-half 'fiasco' | Leistikow

Bennett Stirtz’s cold stretch was continuing into the second half of Iowa’s Big Ten Tournament opener on March 11 in Chicago. The Hawkeyes’ ironman senior had opened 2-for-10 from the floor against 17th-seeded Maryland, a statistic that was indicative of a concerning start for the Hawkeyes, who were lacking the urgency needed to lock up their status for the NCAA Tournament. And then … an acrobatic, unlikely shot seemed to relieve any pent-up pressure that was corked on top of Stirtz and the Hawkeyes. Stirtz’s wild 3-pointer highlighted a 21-0 second-half run from the ninth-seeded Hawkeyes as they overtook Maryland for a 75-64 win, earning a round-of-12 game against No. 8 seed Ohio State at...