Michigan
Michigan struggles to hold lead but edges out Iowa, 85-83
Ann Arbor — It was a happy but nerve-wracking homecoming for the Wolverines.
Back at Crisler Center for the first time in more than two weeks and coming off back-to-back wins over ranked opponents, they kept the good vibes rolling on Saturday.
Behind another balanced scoring attack and a last-second layup by Roddy Gayle Jr., Michigan recovered after squandering a 16-point first-half lead and an 11-point lead late in the second half to take down Iowa, 85-83, for its seventh straight win.
Vlad Goldin had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Tre Donaldson added 18 points to lead five double-digit scorers for Michigan (8-1, 2-0 Big Ten). Gayle added 17 points and had the winning basket with 3.2 seconds left.
After a bevy of turnovers allowed Iowa to wipe out a 16-point deficit in the first half, the Wolverines fell behind when a layup by Josh Dix (16 points) gave the Hawkeyes their first lead, 45-44, with 16:48 left.
Michigan made eight consecutive shots over a five-minute stretch to regain the lead. Gayle found Will Tschetter (13 points) along the baseline for a layup to put the Wolverines back in front. On the next two possessions, Tschetter and Donaldson each canned a 3-pointer to make it 58-53 with 13:04 to go.
Iowa cut it to two twice, but Michigan answered each time before it used a string of second-chance opportunities to create separation and regain a double-digit advantage.
Gayle snagged an offensive rebound and scored on a putback. Goldin won the battle for a missed Michigan free throw that led to a layup by Danny Wolf (13 points). A couple possessions later, Goldin corralled his own missed shot at the rim and finished through contact on the second attempt. The Wolverines pulled ahead, 74-63, at the 7:16 mark.
BOX SCORE: Michigan 85, Iowa 83
Michigan kept Iowa at arm’s length until Iowa made a late push. Payton Sandfort drained a 3-pointer to make it a three-point game. After an empty possession by Michigan, Pryce Sandfort hit a mid-range jumper to cut it to 81-80 with a minute to go.
Gayle made a driving layup and Iowa turned the ball over on a traveling violation. But a pass by Wolf was intercepted near midcourt and led to a Payton Sandfort 3-pointer to knot it at 83 with 20 seconds left.
Following a timeout by Michigan, Gayle scored on a driving layup that counted because of a goaltending call that was upheld after review with 3.2 seconds left.
Iowa brought ball past midcourt before using a timeout with 1.1 seconds left. On the final play, Pryce Sandfort missed a contested 3-pointer from the corner as time expired.
Payton Sandfort scored 19 and Pryce Sandford 16 for Iowa (7-2, 1-1), which won the turnover battle, 19-2, and held a 19-2 advantage in points scored off turnovers.
Michigan had it going at both ends of the floor and jumped all over Iowa. Roddy Gayle Jr. hit a 3-pointer late in the shot clock. Donaldson splashed a deep ball from the left corner. A 12-0 blitz put the Wolverines up, 20-4, less than eight minutes into the game.
During the early flurry, Donaldson grabbed a defensive rebound, raced the other way and made an Iowa defender fall on a crossover before finishing at the rim. A couple of possessions later, Donaldson recovered a pass that was deflected by Iowa all the way on the other end of the court and drew a foul on a 3-point attempt late in the shot clock.
The Hawkeyes missed 12 of their first 14 shots and Owen Freeman, Iowa’s leading scorer and rebounder, picked up two quick fouls less than three minutes into the game. Despite all that, Iowa clawed back as Michigan’s hot start cooled considerably.
Iowa feasted on Michigan turnovers and miscues to dig out of the 16-point hole. Goldin’s pass to a cutting Gayle was tipped and stolen, leading to a 3-pointer the other way. Sam Walters fouled Payton Sandfort on a 3-point shot, leading to three free throws. A carrying violation by Donaldson was followed by a second-chance bucket.
After Tschetter got behind Iowa’s defense and scored on a fast-break layup to reestablish a 10-point lead at the 6:44 mark, the Hawkeyes continued to take advantage of live-ball giveaways — they had a 13-0 advantage in points off 11 Michigan turnovers in the first half — to pull even.
A string of eight unanswered points by Iowa made it a two-point game. Another 7-0 burst tied it at 35 at the 1:10 mark. By the time halftime arrived, Michigan held a slim 40-37 edge.
jhawkins@detroitnews.com
@jamesbhawkins
Michigan
Michigan State Police patrol car damaged in hit-and-run on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
The Michigan State Police is looking for the driver of a Jeep that the agency said hit one of its patrol cars on Lodge Freeway in Detroit Sunday night.
According to officials, the incident happened at 7:50 p.m. on the northbound side of the freeway near Shaefer Highway. The agency said a trooper was investigating a crash and had the patrol car parked on the right shoulder of the freeway with its emergency lights on when it was rear-ended by the Jeep.
“The impact forced the patrol car to strike the concrete wall on the right shoulder,” according to the agency.
The Jeep then went across three lanes of the freeway and hit a median wall, officials said. The driver, identified by law enforcement as a 29-year-old Detroit woman, left the vehicle and fled the scene.
Michigan State Police First Lieutenant Mike Shaw said that while the trooper was evaluated and cleared at the scene by medical personnel, he was still taken to the hospital as a precaution.
Michigan
Indiana extends Big Ten streak to five as the Michigan women win for the first time since 2018
The Indiana men didn’t just win, they secured a fifth straight conference championship, continuing a swimming and diving dynasty in Bloomington. Michigan’s women surged to the top of the league, capturing the title with authority and balance across the lineup.
Records fell left and right throughout the week as this year’s Big 10 championships featured some of the best performances in conference history in the pool.
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Here are the main takeaways from this year’s Big 10 swimming and diving championships:
Indiana breaks away from Michigan to win fifth straight title
The Indiana men continued their dominance in the pool in 2026, extending their Big 10 dynasty.
From start to finish, the Hoosiers demonstrated experience and elite talent. Indiana won ten different events, including two relays and eight individual wins from six different athletes.
Indiana dominated the distance events this week, winning the 400-yd IM, the 500-yd freestyle, and 1,650-yd freestyle. Senior Zalan Sarkany won both distance freestyle events while freshman Josh Bey started off his Big 10 career with a win in the 400-yard IM.
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Owen McDonald was the second highest scorer in the meet behind Michigan senior Tyler Ray, who was named Big 10 Swimmer of the Championships. The senior won the Big 10 title in the 100-yd backstroke and 200-yd IM.
Senior Kai Van Westering and junior Dylan Smiley closed on the week with wins on the last night of competition for the Hoosiers. Van Westering grabbed the win in the 200-yd backstroke and Dylan Smiley won the 100-yd freestyle before leading Indiana to a win in the 400-yd freestyle relay to close out the meet.
Beyond individual stars, the Hoosiers stacked swims in the top eight of each event, showcasing balance across not only distance, but sprint and mid-distance events as well. Indiana’s performance combined consistency and poise, placing swimmers in the establishing control from the first event individual event to the final relay.
The win marks Indiana’s 32nd Big 10 title overall, which is second all time behind Michigan. Head coach Ray Looze won his ninth men’s Big Ten title, moving him into the top five all time in conference history.
The Hoosiers have once again positioned themselves as one of the nation’s elite teams, ready to challenge for another top-three finish at the NCAA Championships in March.
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Michigan women continue building momentum
The Michigan women left Minneapolis with its first Big 10 title since 2018 and the Wolverines’ 18th all-time, the most in conference history.
The Michigan women started the season ranked tenth in the CSCAA Top 25, one spot behind Big 10 rival Indiana. Since December they’ve moved into the top four and have cemented themselves as one of the best teams in the country.
“We had a really great team this year,” senior Devon Kitchel told Yahoo Sports. “Throughout the season we consistently worked hard and continually improved. By the time B1Gs came we were ready to go.”
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As a team Michigan won eight individual events, took first in four of the five relays and medaled in five additional events.
Bella Sims lead the charge for the Wolverines. The junior transfer won two out of her three individual swims and was named Swimmer of the Championships, the first for Michigan since Maggie MacNeil won it three times between 2020-22.
As a team, Michigan put eight athletes of a possible 17 on the All-Big 10 First Team. Along with Sims, eight-time Big 10 champion Stephanie Balduccini, eight-time Big 10 champion Brady Kendall, five-time Big 10 champion Letitia Sim, and five-time Big 10 champion Hannah Bellard led the way for the Wolverines.
Michigan will now turn its focus to the NCAA Championships in March, where the team will attempt to improve on its ninth-place finish in 2025.
Welcome to the Big 10, Bella Sims
Bella Sims is finding her groove in Ann Arbor.
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Sims swam in seven Big Ten finals, which included the 200-yd and 400-yd IM’s, the 100-yd backstroke, and four relays. She finished the meet with five gold medals and two silvers.
In her first two years of collegiate swimming Sims was a three-time NCAA champion, thirteen time All-American, and nine time SEC champion. However, all three of her NCAA titles came during her freshman season at Florida.
The Las Vegas native has represented the United States at the Olympics and World Championships and transferred to Michigan to finish her collegiate career.
Now approaching her third NCAA championship meet, Sims has momentum on her side. Although she is yet to go a personal best this season, Sims is leading the Michigan women to new heights in 2026.
“Bella Sims is an amazing swimmer and an even better person,” Kitchel said. “Obviously she helped our team with points, but she is such a light on deck and such a joy to train with everyday.”
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Sims barely had a lowlight during her week in Minneapolis. Her lowest finish was second in the 100-yard backstroke, where she was upset by Wisconsin’s Maggie Wanezek by 0.03 seconds.
There is little doubt Sims will go down as one of the best in Big Ten history when she finishes her career as a Wolverine.
Big 10 records come crashing down
Across the men’s and women’s meets, six Big Ten conference records were set in 2026. In addition, 16 meet records fell over the two championship weeks.
On the women’s side Michigan set two conference records in the 200-yd and 800-yd freestyle relays. Kendall and Bellard added to the total with their marks in the 50-yd free and 200-yd butterfly, respectively.
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Six additional meet records were broken including Michigan’s 200-yd and 400-yd medley relays, Sims’ 400-yd IM. Indiana’s Liberty Clark broke the meet record in the 100-yd freestyle, and Wanezek added one in the 200-yd backstroke. Indiana finished the week with a meet record in the 400-yd freestyle relay.
Nine total records fell in the men’s meet, including two conference records and seven additional meet records.
Ray broke 44 seconds in the 100-yd fly to set the Big 10 record in 43.83, which moves him up as the tenth fastest performer in history. The Michigan senior also broke the meet record in the 200-yd butterfly in his last Big 10 swim.
Bey cut over seven seconds in the 400-yd IM to win the title and break the conference record. The IU freshman came into the meet seeded with a 3:43.34 stopped the clock in a blistering 3:34.90.
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The other four meet records came from Michigan freshman Luka Mladenovic in the 200-yd breaststroke, Indiana senior Zalan Sarkany in the 500-yd and 1,650-yd freestyle, and Ohio State in the men’s 800-yd freestyle relay.
After a fast two weeks, it seems the top athletes from the Big 10 will be ready to roll at the NCAA championships in March.
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Michigan
Woman accused of driving at the bottom of an Oakland County ski hill near guests
A 58-year-old woman is accused of driving a vehicle at the bottom of a ski hill near skiers and snowboarders in White Lake Township, Michigan, the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said Saturday.
Prosecutors allege the Bingham Farms, Michigan, woman drove near guests of Alpine Valley Ski Area, including children, on Tuesday.
According to the prosecutor’s office, witnesses said they saw the woman smoking what appeared to be marijuana before the incident and wearing ski boots while driving. Officers attempting to perform sobriety tests reported that she “exhibited poor balance, slurred speech, and open hostility.”
Online court records show the woman is charged with operating while impaired for the third time. If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $5,000 and “mandatory vehicle immobilization” for one to three years, the prosecutor’s office said.
“This defendant endangered children with her irresponsible actions,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a written statement. “There is no excuse to drive impaired, even once. If you’ve had too much to drink or are under the influence of marijuana or other drugs, call a friend, call an Uber, just don’t drive.”
The woman is scheduled to appear at a probable cause conference on March 12.
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