Hawkeyes Fall in Overtime Thriller

Feb. 19, 2011

Box Score

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Three-point field goal attempts by Zach McCabe and Bryce Cartwright didn’t find their mark in the final six seconds of overtime as the University of Iowa fell to Michigan, 75-72, on Saturday in front of 13,835 on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“You give the kids credit for fighting all the way to the end,” UI head coach Fran McCaffery said.

Both teams owned double-digit leads in the first half. The Hawkeyes (10-17 overall, 3-11 Big Ten) overcame a seven-point deficit with 6:27 to go, forcing the extra five-minute period. Cartwright took the final shot in regulation, which rimmed-out from 16 feet; a desperation tip by Iowa also missed the mark.

Michigan (17-11, 7-8) won for the sixth time in eight games behind 30 points from Tim Hardaway, Jr., 20 points from Darius Morris and 18 points from Jordan Morgan. The rest of the Wolverines combined for seven points on 2 of 19 shooting from the field.

The Hawkeyes had four players score in double figures, led by a 19-point, eight-rebound effort from Melsahn Basabe. Jarryd Cole scored 14 points, followed by Matt Gatens with 13 and Roy Devyn Marble with 11. Cartwright compensated for a 3-for-13 effort from the field to hand out a team-high eight assists.

Marble started for the second time this season and made 5 of 8 field goals and his only free throw attempt in 28 minutes.

“I thought it would benefit Eric May (to start Marble in his place),” McCaffery said. “I thought Eric May played well. I was pleased with his play, with his effort. I just thought he would settle down a little bit coming off the bench.”

May scored three points in 18 minutes before fouling out with 15 seconds left in overtime.

Less than six minutes into the contest, the Hawkeyes were faced with a 14-4 deficit. They spent the rest of the half building an eight-point advantage (32-24) at the break. Iowa’s lead was literally a fingertip away from being 11 points. Cartwright launched and swished a 55-foot shot that — after a lengthy video review — was ruled still on his fingertips when time expired.

Michigan made three 3-point field goals by the 16:42 mark of the first half, but then cooled from long range and ended up making just 3 of 13 at the break. The Hawkeyes were hot from the field and the line, converting 52.4 percent of the time from the field (11 of 21) and 9 of 10 from the line.

Iowa sliced the early 10-point deficit with field goals by McCabe, Andrew Brommer and Basabe to make it 14-12. The first UI lead came on a made 3-pointer by Gatens with 7:04 left in the half. The Hawkeyes extended the cushion to 30-20 when Basabe made a jumper off and assist from Cartwright.

Basabe led all players with 10 points at halftime, followed by Cole with eight. Cole was 6 of 6 from the free throw line.

Hardaway scored 20 points in the second half. His dunk off a fast-break assist from Morris with 6:27 left in the game gave Michigan its largest lead of the second half at 53-46. Cole answered with a conventional three-point play and Iowa kept clawing away. With 2:18 left, Marble made a three-point play of his own, making a field goal and a free throw, to tie the game, 63-63. The Hawkeyes went ahead with 46 seconds left when Basabe rebounded a missed tip by Cole, making it 65-63. Two made free throws by Morgan (a 53-percent free throw shooter) with 12.2 seconds remaining knotted the score again.

“The kid made both with a timeout in between,” McCaffery said. “Gotta give the kid credit for that.”

A field goal by Basabe off an assist by Cartwright opened the scoring in overtime and gave Iowa its final lead at 67-65. Michigan’s largest lead in overtime was four points (73-69) with Morris on the line, but he missed both free throws.

Saturday’s loss marks the third time in four games that the Hawkeyes have gone to the final possession with a chance to win or tie. “We had some tough games in that stretch,” McCaffery said. “I thought we battled, our intensity level was good. I think we need a couple of days right now to step back.”

Iowa hits the road for games at Illinois (Feb. 26) and Michigan State (March 2) before closing the season at home on either March 5 or 6 against Purdue.