In ‘89, Iowa-North Carolina lived up to hype and more

It was January, 7, 1989. A long time ago.

Iowa took a 12-1 record to North Carolina to play the 13-1 Tar Heels. Carolina was ranked sixth, Iowa ninth. The Hawkeyes won, 98-97.

There were 14 lead-changes in the second half. Iowa's Ed Horton got fouled with 11 seconds left and the score 97-97, but fellow senior Roy Marble shot the two free throws for him after vociferously insisting he was the player who was fouled.

He wasn't.

Marble made one of two, Iowa freshman Ray Thompson blocked King Rice's long jumper at the other end of the floor, and the Hawkeyes won. Iowa assistant coach Bruce Pearl leapt in the air with joy. See this video, with accompanying music that makes no sense whatsoever.

'I don't remember what happened,” said Horton after the game. 'I just got out of the way, and Roy went up to the line.”

'It happened in a flurry in the middle,” Hawkeyes Coach Tom Davis said. 'I couldn't sort it out myself.”

Marble made 9 of 10 free throws. Horton made 1 of 4. Horton had missed the front end of a one-and-one four seconds earlier. Marble rebounded and missed the follow. Horton grabbed his 19th rebound of the game and was fouled. But it was Marble who went to the line.

'I don't know exactly what was going on,” Marble said, 'but after I missed the first (free throw), I saw everyone complaining ... The ref said, ‘Stay there.' So I was pleased to do that.”

But Marble's story was considerably different last year when he told this to the Des Moines Register's Rick Brown:

'It was deliberate.

'I don't care if I'm the Oliver North of Iowa basketball for that. I proudly wear that on my sleeve.

'I knew what I was doing. This had nothing to do with Coach Davis or the rest of them.”

The official who put Marble on the line instead of Horton? Ed Hightower. Iowa fans never seemed to remember that in all the times they harangued Hightower in the years to come.

I covered that game. The Dean Dome was still fresh and new. The crowd was 21,175.

North Carolina was coming off a long road swing, with games against San Diego State, Pepperdine and DePaul. But the Hawkeyes played at Michigan State less than 48 hours earlier.

Things really never got that good again for Iowa that season. It lost its next two games, at Minnesota and Ohio State and was 10-8 in the Big Ten. Thompson was suspended by the school before the NCAAs, an absence that was felt in the Hawkeyes' 102-96 two-overtime loss to North Carolina State in the second round of the NCAA tourney.

North Carolina won the ACC tournament that season and got as far as the Sweet 16, where it lost to Michigan. The Wolverines went on to win the national title.

Twenty-five years ago. Wednesday night, the Hawkeyes make their first visit to the Dean Dome since that fateful game. It will be hard to top.