Iowa men’s basketball doesn’t have moral victories, but shows promise ahead of Western Michigan

IOWA CITY — Moral victories mean nothing to Iowa men’s basketball.

Despite the 66-62 loss at No. 4 Iowa State showing the Hawkeyes’ potential in big-time performances, it was still a loss. Was there significant improvement from Iowa’s Big Ten opener at Michigan State? Sure.

It was still a loss, and it’s a loss the Hawkeyes have to draw from moving forward.

“I'm still not into moral victories,” Guard Bennett Stirtz said. “We lost the game, so it sucks still, and we need to let it suck. It'll make us better.”

Iowa (8-2) now returns to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to host Western Michigan (5-5), the first of three nonconference games before Big Ten play resumes in the New Year. The Hawkeyes have won all six home games so far this season, all by at least 19 points.

Freshman guard Tate Sage had opportunities against the Cyclones to help generate new looks during the Thursday night rivalry. Sage ended the game with eight points, after recording 12 points in his performance against Maryland.

Head coach Ben McCollum said Sage’s ability to play with an innate freedom helps put Iowa in different scoring positions, and in some cases, can even help alleviate the pressure off Stirtz being heavily guarded.

“He doesn’t have any fear,” McCollum said. “I think he's too young to even know. He just kind of goes out and fights and competes. That's a big time environment for him to be a big time player as a freshman.”

One key difference between Iowa’s loss at Michigan State to its loss at Iowa State, too, was Stirtz’ involvement. Although the star guard didn’t have the 15-plus-point performance Hawkeye fans are used to, he kept his double-figure streak alive and extended it to five games.

Stirtz has now scored double figures in all but one game this season — his nine point performance against Chicago State back in November.

However, Sage, along with guard Tavion Banks and forward Cam Manyawu helped boost Iowa into the 13-point first half lead the Hawkeyes held in Hilton Coliseum.

“It's team game. Basketball is team game. That's why I play it. So just seeing those other guys succeed tonight was great,” Stirtz said following the loss in Ames Thursday night. “I mean, if they’re going to deny me we can play 4-on-4 all day long.”

This final string of nonconference games sets up Iowa to fine tune what worked well on Thursday — regardless whether the Hawkeyes relish in moral victories or not.

Learning comes from losses, as McCollum and Stirtz pointed out. Iowa’s already proved it can flush away a loss in conference play, doing so against Maryland. Now, the Hawkeyes can use their game against Western Michigan to bounce back again, and learn more about themselves ahead of Big Ten action.

It’s still a step forward, and a step that helps provide some extra confidence in the final weeks of December.

“We don't like losing, Stirz said. ”In my three and a half years college basketball, I've lost 14 times. So we’re not used to losing, and it sucks. You gotta let it sting, but it's a suffering and struggle that makes us better.“

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