Jan. 11, 2009
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Playing from behind on the road proved too big an obstacle for the University of Iowa men’s basketball team to overcome as the Hawkeyes fell to Michigan 64-49 on Sunday.
Michigan, which snapped a three-game home losing streak to Iowa, improved to 13-3 overall, 3-1 in the Big Ten Conference. Iowa dipped to 11-6, 1-3. The Hawkeyes trailed by as many as 28 points in the second half. Michigan feasted in Iowa passing lanes, scoring 16 points off 18 Hawkeye turnovers.
“There is no defense for us throwing the ball to them and they dunk it,” UI head coach Todd Lickliter said. “It was a lack of poise. We didn’t play according to the way the game was played. We shot it well enough to compete and we played good enough half-court defense to compete.”
UI freshman Matt Gatens posted team-highs in points (11) and rebounds (eight). Jarryd Cole, starting for injured Cyrus Tate, played 26 minutes (a career high) and dumped in eight points. Point guard Jeff Peterson handed out four assists and had two steals.
“It’s pretty disappointing. We expected to beat their zone a little better early on,” Gatens said. “It’s a game of two halves and we have to play both halves to win ball games.”
Iowa converted 17 of 43 field goals (39.5 percent) and the Hawkeyes were 6 of 17 from three-point range (35.3). They were sharp from the free throw line, sinking 9 of 10. Michigan was credited with 12 steals.
“We didn’t have the kind of tenacity the Big Ten requires,” Lickliter said. “We really got exposed today.”
UI freshman Anthony Tucker saw 11 minutes on the court and scored eight points on 3 of 5 shooting from the field (2 of 3 from three-point).
Michigan head coach John Beilein knew the Hawkeyes were at a disadvantage without Tate.
“Let’s not lose site of the fact that Iowa was playing without Cyrus Tate,” Beilein said. “He’s a huge player in the Iowa program. Cyrus is a heck of a player. I was proud of the way we defended that allowed us to get some transition baskets.”
The Wolverines needed a nearly flawless first half to grab a 32-16 lead at the break. Iowa made 6 of 22 field goals (27.3) and 2 of 8 three-point field goals (25.0). Cole netted the first two field goals for the Hawkeyes — the first coming on an assist from Peterson and the second from Jake Kelly. Cole’s four points at halftime were one less than Kelly, who had a team-high five. Jermain Davis pulled down six rebounds. It was Iowa’s lowest offensive output in a half this season. The Wolverines scored the first five points of the game and never looked back.
Iowa will compete in another mid-morning conference battle next Sunday when the Hawkeyes play Purdue at West Lafayette, Ind., with an 11:05 tipoff (Iowa time). Lickliter said that despite suffering a `serious sprain,’ Tate should be `sore, but available’ for the Boilermakers.