Matt Gatens unleashes big-game performance in Iowa upset of No. 13 Michigan

IOWA CITY - Matt Gatens received a standing ovation from a group of about 50 friends and family near the tunnel in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Gatens has scored more points and fought through more pain many more times in his Iowa career than he did Saturday afternoon against No. 13 Michigan. Yet it's doubtful Gatens had a more meaningful or impressive performance as a Hawkeye than he did in Iowa's 75-59 upset.

Gatens, a senior, scored 19 points, a significant achievement, but he also neutralized Wolverines scoring threat Tim Hardaway Jr. with nary a break. Gatens held Hardaway Jr. to nine points but only 2-of-13 from the floor and 0-of-8 from 3-point range.

"I think there were a lot of components to (Gatens' performance), not the least of which was his effort level on Hardaway and his ability to sustain it," Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said. "Offensively, I thought even early when he was missing, he was taking great looks and they all looked like they were going to go in, and then he got hot. He made big shots late when we needed them, free throws late when we needed them. And just an incredibly complete game with phenomenal effort focusing concentration and really proud of him."

Gatens played 38 minutes and did not leave the court in the second half. He missed his first five shots, but then made his last five, including four 3-pointers. He also was 5-for-5 from the free-throw line, had three rebounds, three steals, an assist and no turnovers.

"I've always been told shoot to get hot, shoot to stay hot," Gatens said. "They all felt good, too. A couple of them were in and out. So I felt bad when we were up seven or eight, and I felt like we could have been up by 14 if I hit a couple of those 3s."

Iowa (11-8, 3-3 Big Ten) led by 13 points early in the second half, only to see the Wolverines chop it to six points on an 8-1 run. Iowa proceeded with a 7-0 run to lead again by 13 and extended it to 15, but Michigan (14-4, 4-2) inched closer at 60-48 with a Stu Douglass 3-pointer with 5:22 left in the game.

On Iowa's next possession, Iowa's Bryce Cartwright missed a 3-point shot, and the ball caromed to mid-court. Iowa's Zach McCabe battled several Wolverines for the rebound, grabbed the ball and passed it to Gatens.

"I just saw a loose ball, and I actually thought (Matt) Vogrich was going to get it and didn't touch it," McCabe said. "So I just dived for it and just tried to make the play."

"I thought that might have been the play of the game," Gatens said. "That's a winning play. A guy that understands what it takes and he had like three guys on that side of the court. It was going to be an easy layup or dunk for them, but he dove on it and saved it and got it to us, and I don't know if we hit a shot or something right after it."

Gatens, actually, drilled a 3-pointer just seconds after receiving the ball from McCabe. The shot boosted Iowa's lead to 63-48 with 4:18 left in the game.

"We had that effort the whole game," McCaffery said. "In a situation like that, I look at that as a five-point play, because that loose ball was at the 10-second line. If they get it, they are going to go lay it up. We get it, throw it to Matty, it's a 3 and put it back up at 15 with less than five to go with a double bonus; it's going to be hard at that point.

"That's a play being made by somebody who expects to win, not somebody who hopes to win."

That was Marble's point afterward as well. He had 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and only two turnovers in 34 minutes. Despite losing by a combined 63 points in Iowa's last two games, Marble said the team expected to win.

"I didn't see any optimism in the team today as far as just hoping we would come out and play well and hoping we'd beat them," Marble said. "We knew we were going to beat that team."

MICHIGAN (14-4)

Smotrycz 0-6 0-0 0, Morgan 1-1 2-4 4, Novak 5-10 0-0 14, Burke 7-13 3-3 19, Hardaway Jr. 2-13 5-8 9, Douglass 3-6 1-2 9, Brundidge 0-0 0-0 0, Akunne 0-0 0-0 0, Vogrich 0-1 0-0 0, Bartelstein 0-0 0-0 0, McLimans 2-2 0-0 4, Christian 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-52 11-17 59.

IOWA (11-8)

Basabe 3-5 1-3 7, McCabe 4-5 3-5 11, May 1-4 0-0 2, Marble 5-12 3-5 13, Gatens 5-10 5-5 19, Oglesby 3-5 0-0 7, Brommer 0-1 0-0 0, Cartwright 2-6 0-0 4, White 2-6 8-10 12, Archie 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-54 20-28 75.

Halftime_Iowa 33-23. 3-Point Goals_Michigan 8-31 (Novak 4-8, Douglass 2-3, Burke 2-7, Vogrich 0-1, Smotrycz 0-4, Hardaway Jr. 0-8), Iowa 5-12 (Gatens 4-7, Oglesby 1-2, Marble 0-1, Cartwright 0-1, May 0-1). Fouled Out_None. Rebounds_Michigan 30 (Novak 8), Iowa 39 (May, McCabe 7). Assists_Michigan 9 (Burke, Hardaway Jr., Smotrycz 2), Iowa 18 (Cartwright 5). Total Fouls_Michigan 22, Iowa 17. A_12,366.

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