Boston Holds Off Iowa City

The Boston Rulers walked out of a hostile Iowa City gym with a 108-102 win on Sunday, but they needed every possession of it. The Rattlesnakes got 30 points on 11-of-12 shooting, including 7-of-8 from three, out of Baller #93 in just 22 minutes and 57 seconds, a performance that kept Iowa City in a game it had no business staying in for as long as it did.

The turning point came in the fourth quarter, when Boston's depth proved too much to overcome. With Baller #93 posting a plus-minus of plus-24, the Rattlesnakes were still a live threat late, but their supporting cast could not convert enough shots to close the gap. Iowa City's Baller #18 put together a quietly useful line of 8 points, 10 assists, and 4 steals on 2-of-7 shooting, but the inefficiency from the field on that end ultimately cost the Rattlesnakes the margin they needed.

For Boston, the win came from distribution rather than a single star. Baller #24, Baller #73, and Baller #48 each finished with 14 points, with Baller #48 adding six rebounds, two blocks, and a steal across nearly 25 minutes. Baller #26 chipped in 13 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 29 minutes, though three turnovers kept the Rulers from pulling away cleanly. Boston's five-man rotation held together even as #93 lit them up from the perimeter.

The Rulers got the job done despite the fact that no one on their side approached Baller #93's individual brilliance. They won the team-on-team battle at 108-102 by executing consistently and limiting Iowa City's opportunities in transition. The Rattlesnakes did not shoot poorly. They shot extraordinarily well and still fell short, which says something real about the gap between the two rosters on this night.

Boston takes this result home and enters the next stretch of the regular season with some confidence in its depth. Iowa City, meanwhile, has to wonder what this loss means when its hottest shooter goes 11-of-12 from the floor and the team still cannot win.