IOWA CITY, Iowa, - The FGCU men's basketball fell 62-49 to Iowa on Sunday afternoon in the first round of the 2007 South Padre Island Invitational. Adam Liddell (Auburn, Ind.) scored a season-high 15 and pulled down six boards in the game.
The Eagles got on the board first off a fast-break layup by Casey Wohlleb (Boca Raton, Fla.) that followed a Liddell steal. Iowa answered with three from Justin Johnson. Terieke Barrowes (Pompano Beach, Fla.) put the Eagles back up with a layup and Johnson regained the lead for the Hawkeyes with a second three. FGCU followed with a 10-2 run, putting them up 14-8 with 17:03 to play with a three from Delvin Franklin (Houston, Texas). The Hawkeyes answered with a 9-0 run, holding the Eagles scoreless for nearly eight minutes to take a 17-14 lead.
The Eagles regained their composure and knotted the score at 22 all with 5:06 to play as Liddell sunk a pair of free-throws. Trey's from Wohlleb and Rob Quaintance (Glendale, Az.) gave FGCU a 28-24 lead with just over three minutes to play. Iowa outscored FGCU 10-4 over the last three minutes to take a narrow 32-30 lead into the break.
Iowa opened up a 45-36 lead with 11:38 to play after consecutive jumpers from Johnson. Landon Adler (Decatur, Ind.) went on a personal 5-0 run with a dunk and a three to cut the lead to 45-41 with 8:33 to play. Iowa then held FGCU scoreless for over three minutes to regain a nine point cushion with 6:57 to play. FGCU was able to pull within 50-45 with 5:27 after Quaintance sunk another three, but the Hawkeyes held the Eagles to a pair of lay-ups over the final 5:27 to pull away 62-49.
Justin Johnson was the lone Hawkeye in double figures with a game-high 19 points. Jeff Peterson added nine points while Kurt Looby and Dan Bohall added eight apiece.
Adam Liddell's season-high 15 led the Eagles and Casey Wohlleb scored 13 for FGCU. Rob Quaintance and Landon Adler each scored six for the Eagles. Quaintance dished out five assists and Adler pulled down six boards.
The Eagles will travel to Peoria, Ill., to face Bradley in the second round of the South Padre Island Invitational on Tuseday.
