Hawkeye men get no buzz at the buzzer this time, are edged at Michigan, 85-83

(This story was written in Cedar Rapids.)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There were no last-second heroics this time, and Iowa dropped a Big Ten men’s basketball game at Michigan Saturday, 85-83.

After Josh Dix made a buzzer-beating bomb to beat Northwestern Tuesday night in Iowa City, Pryce Sandfort got Iowa’s last look Saturday at Crisler Center. His last-second 3-point heave from the right corner missed, and the Hawkeyes barely missed a comeback victory.

Michigan is 2-0 in the Big Ten, 8-1 overall. Iowa is 1-1, 7-2.

The Wolverines led by as much as 16 points in the first half, and was up 81-73 with 2:29 remaining in the game.

Payton Sandfort sank a 3-pointer with 22 seconds left for an 83-83 tie. Michigan broke the deadlock when goaltending was called on Owen Freeman. The officials ruled Freeman touched Roddy Gayle’s driving shot after it touched the backboard with 4.6 seconds left.

Gayle’s game-winning shot was reviewed, but the call was upheld.

Iowa had just four turnovers. Michigan had 17. Ultimately, it didn’t matter.

The Wolverines put their two 7-foot starters to good use Saturday in dominating the boards, 45 rebounds to 30. The Hawkeyes did have 15 offensive rebounds.

Vladislav Goldin, a 7-foot-1 transfer from Florida Atlantic, had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Yale transfer Danny Wolf, a 7-foot forward, added 13 points and 14 boards.

Payton Sandfort’s 19 points paced Iowa. He made four second-half 3-pointers. Pryce Sandfort and Dix had 16 points each.

The Hawkeyes shot just 41.6 percent from the field to Michigan’s 55.2, and was 10-of-17 in free throw-shooting to Michigan’s 17-of-22.

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The game got off to a rotten start for Iowa. The Hawkeyes made just 2 of their first 14 shots and fell behind 20-4. Freeman collected two fouls in the first three minutes and was benched for the rest of the half, and starting point guard Brock Harding didn’t play the last 13 minutes of the half after getting his second personal.

Payton Sandfort missed all nine of his field goal tries in the half. Yet, Iowa bounced back in the half because of its bench. Drew Thelwell and forward Pryce Sandfort scored 10 points apiece in the half to erase the deficit before the Wolverines nudged ahead 40-37 prior to halftime.

The Hawkeyes took their first lead of the game with 16:29 remaining, but Michigan didn’t trail in the final 14:10. The Wolverines opened up an 11-point advantage with 7:16 to go, but Iowa didn’t allow a Michigan basket from the 6:30 mark until 45 seconds remained.

“We kept our composure and fought back in it,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said on the Hawkeye Radio Network postgame show.

Iowa’s next game is Thursday at home against No. 6 Iowa State at 6:30 p.m.

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