Feb. 22, 2009
by Sean Neugent
IOWA CITY, Iowa — A 7-0 run to jump-start overtime helped the University of Iowa men’s basketball team finish off Michigan, 70-60, inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday afternoon.
Iowa looked to Jake Kelly and Matt Gatens to help finish the job in the extra frame and it paid dividends for the Hawkeyes. Kelly and Gatens were the only UI players to score in overtime — Kelly had nine points and Gatens added five.
“I think we wanted it more,” Devan Bawinkel said. “I think we just wanted to win after losing to Purdue. We just wanted to win and give the fans something to cheer about.”
The Hawkeyes (14-13 overall, 4-10 Big Ten Conference) shot 24 of 51 (47 percent) from the floor, 9 of 23 (39 percent) from three-point range, and 13 of 18 (72 percent) from the free throw line. Iowa shot perfect in overtime hitting 4 of 4 from the field and 1 of 1 from deep. The Hawkeyes outmuscled the Wolverines for a 40-33 rebounding edge. Michigan (17-11, 7-8) shot 20 of 62 (32 percent) from the field, 12 of 34 (35 percent) from long-range, and 8 of 9 (89 percent) from the free throw line.
Kelly led Iowa in scoring and assists and nearly had a triple-double. Kelly had a game-high 23 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. Four other players were in double-figures in scoring. Gatens had 16 points, Bawinkel with 12 and nine rebounds, and Jarryd Cole added 10 points. Michigan had three players score in double-figures as Stu Douglass scored 14 points, DeShawn Sims had 13, and Zack Novak hit for 11.
“I’m playing with a lot of confidence,” said Kelly, who is taking over for injured guard Jeff Peterson. “I’m making mistakes early, but I have adapted. There are definitely some things I need to work on in that position but I think I am getting better. I like to control the tempo. Sometimes I push it up and other times I slow it down when I am tired.”
“I’ve been pleased, for the most part, with his (Kelly’s) decision making,” UI head coach Todd Lickliter said. “He likes to go to the offensive end when we talk about things and sometimes, I need to bring him back to defense. Jake has been the guy who has guarded their most aggressive perimeter player and he has really taken that responsibility to heart. He’s capable. He’s got great length and I think he’s a terrific defender.”
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“I think our guys would say the crowd was really instrumental in us being able to be successful tonight. I was really pleased with the kind of effort they gave defensively. Michigan put us in tough spots, but we made a great effort to continue to defend, and that was huge. Our spacing was good, guys did what they could do and they stayed away from things that were difficult. Fortunately, we were able to be successful.”
UI head coach
Todd Lickliter
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Kelly’s trey on the first possession was followed by two three-pointers from the Wolverines’ Novak and Douglass. Iowa was able to regain the lead on an inbounds pass to Aaron Fuller, who was able to get the layup. Michigan’s Manny Harris was called for a charge on the ensuing possession and Bawinkel hit from downtown for a 12-8 lead.
Michigan had a tough time getting anything going offensively and was forced to shoot off-balance three-pointers. Iowa pushed its advantage to 20-8 after Gatens and Bawinkel both drilled from downtown in consecutive possessions. Michigan’s Laval Lucas-Perry and Sims ended Iowa’s 13-0 run with back-to-back three-pointers to trail Iowa, 20-14. Iowa held the Wolverines scoreless for nearly seven minutes before Lucas-Perry hit the three-ball.
Michigan stormed right back and created a 14-0 run of its own. Novak pushed Michigan within a point after drilling a three before David Merritt hit an open trey at the top of the key to move the Wolverines ahead, 22-20. The Hawkeyes regained the lead with two treys from Kelly and Fuller but Novak took it right back with one of his own. Michigan went into halftime with a 29-28 advantage.
Michigan pushed its lead to four before Fuller drilled a trey. A few possessions later Iowa was able to get the ball inside to Cole who hit the layup for the lead, 35-34. Douglass stole it back, hitting a deep three-pointer from the top of the arc.
Michigan and Iowa continued to go back-and-forth for the lead on the strength of several long-range jumpers. The crowd rushed to its feet when Cyrus Tate entered the game for the first time with 9:31 remaining. Tate has been out for most of the Big Ten season with an ankle injury. He tied the game with two free throws and 8:14 left in the game.
With two free throws from Sims, Michigan moved ahead, 51-48. The Hawkeyes pushed it down low to Cole, who took it up strong for the layup and was fouled after he made it. He missed the free throw attempt. The Hawkeyes were within one-point before Douglass hit from the perimeter with 1:41 remaining. Gatens was fouled by Sims after he aggressively grabbed a rebound. Michigan was in the bonus so it put Gatens at the free throw line. He made both to tie the game, 56-56 with 25-seconds left.
The last possession came down to Michigan. The Wolverines’ gave the ball to Harris who missed the long-range jumper as time expired to send it into overtime.
Kelly hit an off-balance jumper on the Hawkeyes first possession of overtime to take the lead before Gatens took it inside for a layup to lead, 60-56.
“I think that gave us a lot of confidence and I think the fans gave us a lot of confidence,” Bawinkel said. “We had a good home court advantage.”
Kelly again came up big and drilled a trifecta on the following possession for three straight Iowa baskets. That was all the Hawkeyes needed for the win with some shut down defense.
“They’re a tough team,” Michigan head coach John Beilein said. “Look at who they have put up hard fights against. Michigan State is the only team that has come in here (Carver-Hawkeye Arena) and not given them a situation where it’s a last-second game.”
“I think our guys would say the crowd was really instrumental in us being able to be successful tonight,” Lickliter said. “I was really pleased with the kind of effort they gave defensively. Michigan put us in tough spots, but we made a great effort to continue to defend, and that was huge. Our spacing was good, guys did what they could do and they stayed away from things that were difficult. Fortunately, we were able to be successful.”
Iowa will head to East Lansing on Wednesday to take on front-runner Michigan State with a 7:35 p.m. tipoff.