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UAPB’s problems begin long before it takes court

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s rough day started hours before tip-off in a heavy snowstorm.

Then No. 25 Iowa opened the game on a 39-5 run Sunday on its way to an 85-61 victory over the Golden Lions.

UAPB didn’t arrive in Iowa City until 4 a.m. because slick road conditions nearly doubled the normal ride from Omaha with the 250-mile trip taking seven hours.

“We got a chance to bond a little bit more,” UAPB Coach George Ivory said. “That’s why we didn’t go to shoot around. I figured the guys were tired.”

Jarrod Uthoff scored 16 points to lead the Hawkeyes (11-2), while Josh Oglesby added 13 points in his season debut and Adam Woodbury had 10.

Tevin Hammond scored 19 points for UAPB (2-9), which lost its ninth consecutive.

The Hawkeyes shot 75 percent from the field in taking a 52-15 lead into halftime. Iowa committed a season-worst 27 turnovers but dominated the rebounding 42-27.

The Golden Lions shot 33 percent from the field overall. UAPB outscored the Hawkeyes 46-34 in the second half.

“We got out and played a little better in the second half, pressing and trying to get into the lanes and get steals,” Ivory said. “They’re a great basketball team, and it was a great opportunity for us to come up here and play them.”

Oglesby missed the first 12 games of the season with abroken foot. He made his first four three-pointers during a six-minute stretch in the first half, drawing a loud ovation from the fans in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“It felt really good, especially just making my first shot so I could get into the groove of things,” Oglesby said. “This team’s so unselfish and they found me, and I knocked down some shots.”

Oglesby could become a much-needed outside scoring threat for the Hawkeyes, who rank near the bottom of the Big Ten in three-pointers.

The junior struggled last season, making only 26.9 percent of his three-point attempts after shooting an impressive 37.2 percent as a freshman.

It’s unclear how Oglesby will fit into Iowa’s already deep rotation. Ten Hawkeyes average at least 14 minutes a game. Iowa Coach Fran Mc-Caffery now has five guards he is comfortable with as Iowa opens Big Ten play on Dec. 31 against Nebraska.

“I wasn’t surprised,” Mc-Caffery said. “I was honest with you guys. I told you that he looked really good and he looks like he’s in pretty good shape.”

On one play late in the half, Woodbury fumbled his dribble on a fast break on what looked like a sure turnover, but the 7-foot-1 center recovered and wrapped a pass around his back to Aaron White for a dunk and foul.

“I tried to do it,” Woodbury said with a laugh. “White doesn’t think so, but his opinion doesn’t matter.”

UAPB is in the middle a 15-game stretch of road and neutral-site games to open its season. The Golden Lions’ home opener is Jan. 18.

Ivory said he thinks his team is hanging in there with the difficult schedule - something the program does to help the athletics department’s bottom line.

“I like coming into venues like this where you have great fans and great basketball,” Ivory said.

In other games involving Top 25 teams Shabazz Napier scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half and grabbed six rebounds to lead No. 10 Connecticut to an 82-70 victory over Washington. Fellow guard Ryan Boatright had 16 points and five rebounds and Lasan Kromah scored 14 points for Connecticut (10-1). … Cleanthony Early had 16 points and 10 rebounds as No. 11 Wichita State (12-0) extended the best start in school history with a 77-66 victory over North Carolina Central (7-3). … Isaiah Austin had 14 points and 10 rebounds as No. 12 Baylor (10-1) won its 10th consecutive home game with a 81-56 victory over Southern. Brady Heslip had 13 points for Baylor, while Cory Jefferson and Rico Gathers both had 12. Kenny Chery had 10 points. Tre Lynch had 27 points, including five three-pointers, to lead Southern (3-9). … Georges Niang scored 22 points to lead No. 17 Iowa State to a 79-67 victory over George Mason in the first round of the Diamond Head Classic. Patrick Holloway scored 19 points for George Mason (5-5) and Byron Allen had 14.

Sports, Pages 20 on 12/23/2013

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