Michigan
7-17 (3-9)
Iowa
11-15 (4-9)
Wolverines Overcome Slow Start to Down Hawkeyes
2/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Site: Iowa City, Iowa (Carver-Hawkeye Arena)
Score: Michigan 60, Iowa 52
Records: U-M (7-17, 3-9 Big Ten), Iowa (11-15, 4-9 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Feb. 17 -- vs. Ohio State (Crisler Arena), 1 p.m.
Boxscore | Postgame Notes | Video Report
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team defeated Iowa 60-52 to claim its second straight Big Ten victory Thursday night (Feb. 14) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Wolverines compensated for first-half struggles with 44 second-half points, overpowering the Hawkeyes with an 18-2 run to avenge a 68-60 loss suffered earlier this season (Jan. 19).
U-M trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half and was down 27-16 at halftime, but the momentum swung Michigan's way after the intermission. The Wolverines almost matched their first-half production in the first five minutes of the second half, scoring 13 points in the first five minutes of play to bring the team within a field goal, 31-29. Freshman Manny Harris(Detroit, Mich./Redford HS) came to life after being blanked in the first stanza, recording the Wolverines' first five points of the half and a key assist on a three-pointer from freshman Kelvin Grady(Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids HS), who finished the contest with seven points and a career-high nine assists. Harris finished with a game-high 15 points and added three assists.
The Maize and Blue bench sparked an 18-2 stretch to give the Wolverines a 47-40 advantage at the 6:57 mark as they took the lead for the first time since holding a 1-0 edge at the beginning the game. Michigan pushed ahead of Iowa, 42-40, after Harris grabbed a steal at halfcourt and went in for an emphatic two-handed slam, and the Wolverines controlled the lead for the remainder of the game. Sophomore Zack Gibson(Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS) provided four points and senior David Merritt(West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield HS) contributed two of his own. Freshman Anthony Wright(Sterling, Va./Oak Hill Academy) added the exclamation mark, sinking an attempt from beyond the arc to close the run. Wright played a key role off the bench for the second consecutive game, amassing eight points in relief.
Iowa attempted a late rally, hitting two attempts from outside and an inside layup within the final minutes of the competition, but Michigan denied the charge and sealed the conference victory at the charity stripe thanks to a flawless Harris, who drilled all six of his attempts at the line.
The Wolverines struggled early in the first half, suffering a scoring drought that lasted more than eight minutes. The dry spell resulted from Michigan's highly contested shot attempts and sloppy ball handing that led to eight turnovers in the first period. U-M hit only one of its six attempts from long-range in the first half, opening the door for a 13-0 Iowa run that provided the Hawkeyes a 22-7 lead. After a Michigan timeout with 5:43 left in the half, sophomore DeShawn Sims(Detroit, Mich./Pershing HS) responded to score the team's next seven points, cutting the deficit to nine, 25-14. Sims led all scorers in the first stanza, tallying seven points and three rebounds. Iowa hit an inside bucket and Gibson nailed two free throws to close the half's scoring at 27-16.
The Wolverines will return to action Sunday (Feb. 17) when they face Ohio State at Crisler Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. with the game nationally televised on CBS.
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
