Northwestern
Iowa
Wildcats Defeated By Iowa, 77-61
3/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 8, 2003
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By TODD DVORAK
Associated Press Writer
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Jared Reiner scored 20 points and three others scored in double figures as Iowa beat Northwestern 77-61 in the final game of the Big Ten regular season on Saturday.
Reiner was 8-of-12 shooting, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked two shots in just 24 minutes of action. The Big Ten's second leading rebounder took charge in a key stretch in the second half, scoring six points and grabbing a handful of rebounds in a 15-2 run that broke a tie at 46 at the 10:22 mark.
Chauncey Leslie and Greg Brunner scored 15 points apiece and Glen Worley added 10 as Iowa (15-12, 7-9 Big Ten) swept the season series. Iowa shot just 30 percent in the first half, but fueled by Leslie's buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the half shot 56.7 percent in the second.
Leslie, a senior and the Hawkeyes' leading scorer, also added nine rebounds, had seven assists and played a spirited final regular season game before the home crowd.
Northwestern (11-16, 3-12) played without head coach Bill Carmody, who checked into an Evanston, Ill., hospital after practice Friday. Carmody complained of tightness in his chest, stayed overnight for tests and did not make the trip to Iowa City. Assistant coach Paul Lee served as head coach.
The victory guaranteed Iowa will play Ohio State in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, which begins Thursday. Northwestern will faces either Minnesota or Penn State.
Jitim Young led Northwestern with 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including three 3-pointers. Jason Burke added 10 points and T.J. Parker grabbed six rebounds.
Northwestern shot 42.9 percent in the game and was outrebounded 39-31.
Young scored 11 points in the first nine minutes to put Northwestern out front early. With the Wildcats leading 13-9, Young hit a pair of 3's to fuel a 14-4 run midway through the first half. The Wildcats shot 55 percent in the first half, and 53 percent from behind the 3-point arc.
But Northwestern's hot shooting touch cooled late in the half, giving the Hawkeyes the opportunity to creep back into the game before halftime. Glen Worley hit a jumper over center Aaron Jennings, then sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key on the next possession to cut the Wildcat lead to 32-27.
But it was Chauncey Leslie's 3-pointer at the buzzer that gave Iowa momentum heading into the locker room. With 1.9 seconds to go, Leslie caught the inbound pass just over the half-court line, dribbled and fired a leaping shot that swished through the net to cut Northwestern's lead to 34-30.
