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