Michigan falls behind big early, loses 82-71 to Iowa on Senior Night
Michigan played little defense early and missed open shots from the get-go in a home game with Iowa. As a result. The Wolverines played from behind most of the night and never caught up, falling 82-71 to Iowa.
The setback was a blow to their NCAA Tournament hopes. Michigan is firmly on the bubble with only one road game (at Ohio State Sunday) and the Big Ten Tournament remaining to pad the resume.
Michigan missed its first five shots from long range, most of them great looks. The Hawkeyes, meanwhile, couldn’t miss. They made their first four triples, including a 27-footer from Jordan Bohannon (3-for-4 from long range in the first half), and were a step ahead all night.
The Wolverines continued to struggle. They trailed by 15 before associate head coach Phil Martelli finally called timeout.
Michigan finally came alive midway through the first half. Center Hunter Dickinson scored in the paint, and fifth-year senior guard Eli Brooks tripled to cut it to 28-18 at 7:30. U-M got within eight on a Brooks runner, and it appeared the Wolverines were ready to make a game of it.
Iowa, though answered. The Hawkeyes scored four straight to push the lead back to 12.
It was 39-21 at 3:30, and Michigan was in serious trouble. Brooks answered with a triple off the dribble, but U-M would need much more to get back into it. He hit another after an Iowa three-pointer, and a Dickinson jumper made it 42-29 at 1:48.
The Iowa onslaught would continue. Brooks made two more triples and U-M cut it to 13, but the half ended 47-30 when Bohannon hit his third three-pointer of the half at :58.
Keegan Murray led the Hawkeyes with 15 points at the half, going 3-for-3 from long range. The Hawkeyes shot 60 percent from the floor and 70 percent from three-point range. Brooks notched 13 for U-M, which shot 37.5 percent in the first half.
SECOND HALF: Michigan fights, but can’t pull off the comeback
Brooks continued to be aggressive, scoring at the rim after a stop to open the second half scoring. It was 13 points, 49-36, after four straight, and the Crisler crowed started to come to life.
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A Bohannon prayer triple pushed the lead back to 16, and it was 19 after a turnover and another long Bohannon pull-up. Michigan was in trouble again.
But the Wolverines didn’t quit. They heated up offensively, especially Dickinson. They just couldn’t get stops. Every time they scored, Iowa seemed to have an answer. It was 67-48 after a Keegan Murray three with just over 11 minutes remaining.
The Wolverines made a run. A short Brandon Johns jumper capped a 7-0 burst that made it 67-55 at 9:00. Iowa, though, responded with the next four, something U-M couldn’t afford.
Still, Michigan cut it to 12 with seven minutes remaining on a Houstan drive and finish at 7:00.
It was 71-62 when Jones tripled at 5:35. Frosh Moussa Diabate missed the front end of a one-and-one, but it was still 73-64 and Michigan ball with 3:58 remaining. They had a chance to cut it to seven, but Diabate missed at the rim. A Dickinson putback made it 73-66 at 3:00, but Kris Murray’s triple at 2:30 appeared to be a dagger.
Caleb Houstan answered with one of his own, and twice U-M had a chance to cut it to five or less. They turned it over twice in a row, and Iowa finished it out from the line.
Dickinson finished with 21 after a big second half and Brooks finished with 17 in his last regular season home game.
