Tate finds a groove as Iowa outlasts Indiana

Iowa forward Cyrus Tate didn’t have much of a place on the floor when Iowa lost to Ohio State last Wednesday in Columbus, but on Saturday evening in Iowa City, the beefy and brawny post player felt right at home. Tate’s 22 points and 11 rebounds carried the Hawkeyes past the Indiana Hoosiers, 65-60, in a game Todd Lickliter’s team simply had to have.

It’s been widely documented that Indiana is facing a lengthy rebuilding process under Tom Crean, so with that having been said, the Hoosiers battled quite admirably in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, never caving when the Hawkeyes accumulated multiple double-digit leads at different stages of the second half. Despite trailing by 13 with just under 15 minutes left, and then falling behind by 10 with just over four minutes remaining in regulation, an undaunted Indiana squad fought within two points, at 62-60, with just 22 ticks left on the clock. A close game and a moral victory would be all that the Hoosiers would receive, however. Iowa’s Jeff Peterson knocked down two free throws, and Andrew Brommer nabbed a steal on the ensuing possession to seal the win for the Hawkeyes.

This win didn’t offer many style points to the home team, but they’ll take it just the same. Indiana might get more overall encouragement from the evening, as Crean’s kids competed with vigor in an enemy building, but Iowa ultimately avoided an 0-2 start in conference play. If one day’s 65-point game brought about an agonizing loss to Ohio State, Saturday’s own “65” proved to be just enough for the Hawks against Indiana. In a league known for blue-collar, elbow-grease basketball, any lunch-pail win in the mid-60s has to be cherished and built upon, even if it comes against a squad decimated the way Indiana was in the offseason.

The reason for this crucial Iowa victory was Tate, a 6-8, 255-pound senior who had a reason to stay on the Carver parquet. Unlike the loss to Ohio State, Tate fit into Lickliter’s plans, and that made all the difference for Iowa.

Against the Buckeyes on Dec. 31, Iowa launched 28 three-pointers, making 14. The matchup with OSU lent itself to perimeter play and long-distance shooting, which took Tate out of the game’s flow. Tate logged just 11 minutes in Columbus, scoring two measly points. The paltry stat sheet wasn’t so much a commentary on Tate’s play as it was a reflection of the game’s style.

Saturday against Indiana, a team lacking in frontline strength, Tate was able to go to work. Playing 35 minutes, Tate proved to be the best player on the floor by a considerable margin. His 22 points were a season high for the Chicago native, but more importantly, that point total was produced in a supremely efficient way. Tate hit all six of his field goal attempts and went 10-of-11 at the foul line. By wasting none of his shot attempts, Tate did more than build Iowa’s lead, which held up in the final, frantic moments; he drastically reduced Indiana’s margin for error, which—in the world of Big Ten hoops—is perhaps the surest sign of an in-game advantage. When Iowa tackles lock-down defensive teams such as Wisconsin and Purdue, you can bet that Cyrus Tate will be Iowa’s most important presence on the court.

Indiana showed that it will fight every Big Ten opponent tooth and nail in 2009. Iowa, however, had the best warrior in the arena on a Saturday night in Hawkeye country

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