Feb. 5, 2015
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By JAMES ALLAN
hawkeyesports.com
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — All five Hawkeye starters landed in double figures in leading the University of Iowa men’s basketball team to its first road victory inside the Crisler Center since 2008.
Iowa shot a season-high 62.7 percent from the floor and had a 42-16 advantage in paint points in downing Michigan, 72-54, on Thursday in Ann Arbor. It is the Hawkeyes’ first double-digit win at Michigan since the 1999 season.
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“We are a bigger team, so we felt we had to establish our ability to run our offense through the post,” said UI head coach Fran McCaffery. “Even if we threw it in and didn’t shoot it, we had to go in and out and get it swung. It was effective tonight.”
Junior Jarrod Uthoff scored a team-high 16 points, making 7-of-10 field goals, junior Mike Gesell had 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and senior Aaron White scored 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Junior big man Adam Woodbury had 11 points, seven rebounds, and a career-high six assists, and sophomore Peter Jok had 10 points, including two 3-pointers.
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“You can’t run your offense through the post if you don’t have a good post player who can pass,” said McCaffery. “Adam takes great pride in being able to find people and being unselfish, and that’s why I love him.”
Iowa made 32-of-51 field goals for the game, while Michigan connected on 19-of-47 attempts for 40.4 percent, which included seven 3-point field goals. The Hawkeyes out-rebounded Michigan, 33-17, which included nine offensive rebounds, and had 16 assists on 32 field goals. Both teams committed just six turnovers.
After weathering a strong start that saw Michigan jump out to a 12-6 lead, Iowa used a pair of Jok 3-pointers to grind its way back to take an 18-16 lead at the eight-minute mark of the opening half.
UM’s Spike Albright drained a 3-pointer at the 6:58 mark to put the Wolverines up 21-19, but it was their final field goal of the first half. The Wolverines missed their final eight shots, went 2-for-15 over the final 13 minutes, and shot 34.8 percent (8-of-23) in the first half.
Trailing 21-19, Iowa went inside to Woodbury to even the game before White and Uthoff followed with back-to-back flushes to give the Hawkeyes a 25-21 lead. Iowa scored the final 12 points of the first half — all in the paint — to take a 31-21 lead into the locker room.
“We got some consecutive stops in that sequence and some run outs,” said McCaffery. “The defense was good and consequently the offense was good.”
After shooting 53.8 percent in the first half, Iowa’s was even hotter in half two. The Hawkeyes made six of their first eight shots in the second half to open up a 46-28 lead at the 14:25 mark. A White dunk at the 13:31 mark made the score 46-28, but it also ignited a Wolverine spurt.
“We maintained our energy level defensively, but kept sharing the ball,” said McCaffery. “The way we passed the ball, we made it difficult for them to key in on one guy.”
White was whistled for a “B” technical foul after hanging on the rim, giving the Wolverines some life. Michigan scored seven-straight points — five coming from Aubrey Dawkins — to cut the deficit to 46-35. Dawkins drained his second and third 3-pointers at the eight-minute mark, bringing Michigan to within 52-43.
Uthoff had an answer, drilling a 3-ball on Iowa’s next possession to open a 12-2 run to send the Hawkeyes to their third Big Ten road win this season.
“(Getting three road wins) in this league is huge,” said McCaffery.”Top to bottom is so strong. Every team you play has great players and an ability to beat you. To go on the road and get a couple of wins is tremendous, but now we have to protect our home court, which isn’t easy with whom we have coming in.”
Iowa (14-8, 5-4) returns to action Sunday, hosting second-place Maryland at 2:21 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court.
