Maintain preventing till the clock hits 0:00, proper? That is precisely what Iowa did on Thursday night time, rallying from a number of deficits towards Michigan to win a 93-84 thriller in extra time. Michigan hit Iowa with haymaker after haymaker for 38 minutes and led for nearly 34 minutes of the sport. Iowa held the lead just a few occasions within the first and second halves — however solely briefly earlier than one other Michigan made basket returned the result in the Wolverines. The Michigan lead acquired as excessive as 10, however hovered round 4-7 factors for a lot of the second half. In truth, it was 77-70 Michigan after a Hunter Dickinson putback with 2:18 to go. At that time, Michigan’s win likelihood hit 89%, its highest level through the recreation.
So, naturally, that is when Iowa put collectively some of the gorgeous late rallies in latest reminiscence.
A sloppy sequence of steals by each groups ended with Filip Rebraca hitting a layup to chop the result in 77-72. A Michigan turnover gave the ball proper again to Iowa and Payton Sandfort promptly drained a 3 to chop the result in 77-75 with a minute to go. However Michigan answered again with a Kobe Bufkin jumper to take a 79-75 lead with 29 seconds to go. That is when Sandfort hit what is going to most likely be one of many performs of the season for Iowa, swishing a three-pointer and getting fouled within the course of to arrange an inconceivable four-point play precisely when Iowa wanted it most. Simply watch it:
Michigan had the ball again with 20 seconds to go, however an Iowa protection that had been torched for many of the night time tightened up precisely after they most wanted to take action. Iowa had two fouls to offer on Michigan’s closing possession, which ended up being key, because it allowed Iowa to have Michigan drain clock and foul them earlier than they may try a shot. Iowa by no means allowed Michigan to get even a semi-good look in these closing 20 seconds, except for an off-balance runner within the lane from Michigan guard Dug McDaniel with time expiring. Iowa’s protection did not have a lot to crow about within the first 39 minutes of this recreation, nevertheless it was glorious in these closing 20 seconds. Sandfort’s four-point play was the play of the sport, nevertheless it’s only a footnote on this recreation if Iowa does not get the cease on the finish of regulation.
Time beyond regulation was virtually all Iowa — Michigan appeared rattled from their blown lead and at last began to overlook pictures, whereas Iowa rode the momentum from their late rally (and Payton Sandfort’s scorching taking pictures) to an 8-0 run to begin extra time (together with 5 factors for Sandfort). Iowa ended up out-scoring Michigan 14-5 within the further interval, permitting them to cruise to a 93-84 win… lower than 20 minutes (of actual time) after they appeared useless and buried within the recreation.
The primary half was an offensive monitor meet, with Michigan using a phenomenally scorching hand for Jett Howard to a 43-40 lead on the break. Howard made his first six pictures and completed the half with 21 factors (already a profession excessive) on 8/11 taking pictures, together with an absurd 5/6 from behind the 3-point arc. Iowa had 15 factors from Kris Murray (and a shock 8-point half from Josh Dix off the bench) to maintain the sport shut, however the lackluster protection was placing Iowa within the hazard zone. On protection Iowa despatched plenty of assist defenders at Hunter Dickinson to sluggish him down, which basically dared Michigan’s open shooters to hit pictures… sadly, they did — at an alarming fee. Michigan was 7/13 (54%) from 3-point vary within the first half they usually saved that going within the second half (7/12). Even with an 0/6 outing from past the arc in extra time, Michigan completed 14/31 (45%) from deep, which is a fairly absurd quantity — Iowa will not many video games permitting three-point taking pictures like that, frankly. The defensive rotations have been somewhat too sluggish for a lot of the sport and continually going below screens wasn’t working. Michigan hasn’t been an ideal 3-point taking pictures workforce this season so it does make sense to power them to hit pictures… however as soon as the Wolverines confirmed that they have been in a position to make loads of three-pointers tonight, Iowa’s protection wanted to make some changes.
Kris Murray’s constant play saved Iowa on this recreation when Michigan’s scorching taking pictures was threatening to show the sport right into a rout — along with his 15 factors within the first half, he had six factors within the first seven minutes of the second half. However his final factors in regulation got here off a three-pointer with 9:27 to go. Murray went 0/3 with a pair of turnovers within the the rest of regulation. That is to not canine Murray’s play in any respect — once more, Iowa does not have a shot at profitable this recreation with out his very sturdy efficiency within the first half-hour of the sport — however simply to level out that Murray wasn’t Iowa’s nearer tonight.
That was Payton Sandfort, who was completely electrical in scoring 24 of his career-high 26 factors within the second half and extra time. Sandfort scored 14 factors within the closing 10 minutes, together with seven in that gorgeous closing minute. Sandfort channeled a few of Jordan Bohannon’s late recreation taking pictures heroics and it was unbelievable to behold. He completed with 26 factors on 9/17 taking pictures (4/9 from 3-point vary) together with 7 rebounds and three assists. He is scored in double figures in all three video games since Patrick McCaffery stepped away from the workforce, together with back-to-back 20+ level video games. We puzzled who was going to step up as Iowa’s third choice — Sandfort is answering that query fairly emphatically. (And he is perhaps turning into Iowa’s second choice at this fee.)
In truth, Sandfort was a part of an enormous recreation total for Iowa’s bench. Iowa’s reserves outscored Michigan’s second unit 42-12. Except for Sandfort’s huge recreation, Iowa additionally acquired an ideal outing from Josh Dix, who completed with 10 factors on 3/5 taking pictures, a team-high 5 assists, and three rebounds. Dix performed a season-high 31 minutes, greater than Ahron Ulis (12) and Tony Perkins (16) mixed. Ulis and Perkins struggled to make an affect of their time on the ground on this recreation — they have been a mixed 3/11 taking pictures the ball and Perkins additionally had two turnovers. They weren’t giving Iowa a lot on the defensive finish of the ground, both; McCaffery chewed out Perkins for a defensive breakdown at one level within the first half. Dix had the new hand tonight and Fran rode him. Iowa additionally acquired some very constructive minutes from Riley Mulvey (4 factors, 2 rebounds, a steal and a +4 score in 13 minutes), who needed to play prolonged minutes on this recreation with Filip Rebraca getting in a little bit of foul bother. Mulvey helped Iowa keep afloat whereas Rebraca was on the bench.
A fast shout-out to Rebraca as properly, although — regardless of that foul bother, he nonetheless managed to play 32 minutes and completed with 13 factors and 12 rebounds, together with 4 key offensive rebounds. He wasn’t nice from the sector (simply 3/9), however he was in a position to get to the free throw line and do injury (7/10) — not one thing we noticed from him final season. He is made huge strides since then in all phases of the sport, although. In truth, he performed Dickinson, who has been excellent this 12 months, to a draw — Michigan’s huge man completed with 12 factors and 13 rebounds, however he additionally had 4 turnovers and went simply 1/3 on the free throw line (together with just a few key misses late).
Iowa’s three-game homestand continues with a go to from Maryland on Sunday, January 15 at 3:30 PM CT (BTN). The Terps are 11-5 total this season and 2-3 in Huge Ten play coming off an 80-73 residence win over Ohio State final Sunday.
