The Michigan Wolverines struggle to hold onto the lead but edge out the Iowa Hawkeyes 85-83

Ann Arbor — It was a happy but nerve-wracking homecoming for the Wolverines.

They were back in the Crisler Center for the first time in more than two weeks, and after picking up two consecutive wins against ranked opponents, they kept the atmosphere going on Saturday.

After another balanced scoring attack and a last-second layup from Roddy Gayle Jr., Michigan rallied after blowing a 16-point lead in the first half and an 11-point lead late in the second half to beat Iowa 85: 83 to defeat his seventh consecutive victory.

Michigan center Vladislav Goldin (50) shoots over Iowa guard Brock Harding (2) in the first half. Michigan vs. Iowa at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan on December 7, 2024.

Vlad Goldin had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Tre Donaldson added 18 points, leading five scorers in double figures for Michigan (8-1, 2-0 Big Ten). Gayle added 17 points and had the game-winning basket with 3.2 seconds left.

After a flurry of turnovers allowed Iowa to erase a 16-point first-half deficit, the Wolverines fell behind when a layup by Josh Dix (16 points) gave the Hawkeyes their first lead, 45-44, with 16:48 left provided leadership.

Michigan scored eight straight times over a five-minute span to regain the lead. Gayle found Will Tschetter (13 points) on the baseline for a layup to put the Wolverines back in the lead. On the next two possessions, Tschetter and Donaldson each hit three-pointers to make it 58-53 with 13:04 left.

Iowa cut it to two twice, but Michigan answered each time before capitalizing on a series of second chances to create separation and regain a double-digit lead.

Gayle grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on a putback. Goldin won the battle on a missed Michigan free throw that led to a layup by Danny Wolf (13 points). A few possessions later, Goldin parried his own miss at the rim and finished with contact on his second attempt. The Wolverines took a 74-63 lead after 7:16.

BOX SCORE: Michigan 85, Iowa 83

Michigan kept Iowa at bay until Iowa made a late push. Payton Sandfort hit a 3-pointer to make it a three-point game. After an empty possession by Michigan, Pryce Sandfort hit a mid-range shot with a minute left to increase the score to 81-80.

Gayle made a layup and Iowa turned the ball over on a running violation. But a pass from Wolf was intercepted near midcourt and led to a 3-pointer from Payton Sandfort, making it 83 of the game with 20 seconds left.

After a Michigan timeout, Gayle scored with a layup that counted as the goalie decision was upheld with 3.2 seconds left.

Iowa got the ball past the midfield line before using a timeout with 1.1 seconds left. On the final play of the game, Pryce Sandfort missed a contested three-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 had a 19-2 edge in points scored on turnovers.

Michigan was full throttle on both ends of the floor and jumped all over Iowa. Roddy Gayle Jr. hit a three-pointer late in the shot clock. Donaldson sprayed a deep ball from the left corner. A 12-0 blitz gave the Wolverines a 20-4 lead less than eight minutes into the game.

During the initial flurry, Donaldson grabbed a defensive rebound, ran the other way and dropped an Iowa defender on a crossover before finishing at the rim. A few possessions later, Donaldson recovered a pass that was deflected to the other end of the court by Iowa 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, committed two quick fouls less than three minutes into the game. Despite all this, Iowa fought back as Michigan’s hot start cooled significantly.

Iowa relished Michigan’s turnovers and misses to get out of the 16-point gap. 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-pointer, which led to three free throws. A carrying violation by Donaldson was followed by a second-chance basket shot.

After Tschetter got behind Iowa’s defense and scored on a fast-break layup to restore a 10-point lead at 6:44, the Hawkeyes continued to use live-ball promotions – they had a 13-0 points lead with 11 turnovers at Michigan in the first half – to get even.

A string of eight unanswered points by Iowa made it a two-point game. Another 7-0 made it 35 with 1:10 to play. When halftime came, Michigan had a narrow lead of 40-37.

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