Every team has a game or two each season that haunts them. Iowa had one of those nightmares on Tuesday night.
The Hawkeyes dropped a 93-88 game to Virginia Tech in overtime on Tuesday. It was a tightly contested back-and-forth affair, with both teams exchanging blows throughout the night. By the time the final whistle blew, it was the Hokies who made just enough plays to win. Poor free-throw shooting and missed shots at the rim in overtime doomed the Hawkeyes.
Despite the loss, it wasn't all negative for Iowa. There were some very encouraging individual performances that the team can build on as the season progresses.
Here are the biggest takeaways from Iowa's overtime loss to Virginia Tech.
Cooper Koch displayed a complete offensive skill set
Koch has always been a great 3-point shooter for the Hawkeyes.
On Tuesday, he showcased a new element of his offensive game. Koch routinely got to the rim, attacked mismatches, and finished through contact. He got to the free-throw line 17 times, making 15 of them. He finished with a career-high 26 points on 5 of 11 shooting. This version of Koch is capable of being an All-Big Ten member by the end of the season.
Isaia Howard did it all
Howard was a solid contributor off the bench last season. He's started the first three games this year and was excellent on Tuesday. Howard had 13 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. He was a monster on the glass, winning a ton of 50-50 rebounds to steal possessions. The third-year forward was also very active defensively, racking up three steals. His two-way game was huge for Iowa. Howard looks like he could be a dude this year.
Ty'Reek Coleman was a game-changer
Coleman brings a unique dimension that no other guard on Iowa's roster does. His speed and athleticism are unmatched. He got to the rim at will, driving with aggressiveness. He was also able to finish fairly consistently up close as well. Coleman finished with 20 points and four rebounds, going 7 of 10 from the field. There's a good argument to be made that Coleman should start going forward. He's been that good.
Free-throw shooting is a problem
Iowa went 31 of 47 at the free-throw line in this game. They entered Tuesday's game making just 55.6% of their attempts from the line on the season. In a game that went to overtime, Iowa's poor free-throw shooting really cost them.
It's still early, but it's by far the biggest issue Ben McCollum's team has at the moment. They need to get it cleaned up.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Takeaways from Iowa basketball's OT loss vs. Virginia Tech
