Iowa snaps losing skid, beats Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Iowa guard Anthony Clemmons didn't know the score or the context of his 3-pointer's importance late in the second half against Michigan.

It was all part of the offense, and it was a shot he says he takes 1,000 times a week in practice. Yet this one was different. And vital.

With No. 15 Iowa's 15-point lead sliced to five points inside of four minutes, Clemmons was open from the corner. He buried his 3-pointer to boost Iowa's lead to eight in an eventual 71-61 win at Crisler Arena.

'I was just playing to be honest,' said Clemmons, who finished with 12 points. 'I didn't know the score; I just knew I had an open look. I was just telling myself to let the game come to me.'

Then when he was informed of the situation, Clemmons smiled and responded, 'Wow.'

The win was crucial for many reasons. First, it ends Iowa's four-game losing streak. The Hawkeyes (21-9, 12-6) had dropped five of six games, and this boosted their confidence. Iowa's offense had waned in aggressiveness in the last month, but this time the Hawkeyes hit six of their first nine shots from the field. Perhaps most important, Iowa extended its lead in the final five minutes rather than lose it.

'We did a much better job down the stretch,' said Iowa guard Mike Gesell, who finished with 11 points. 'On our little losing streak that we had, we were absolutely terrible the last five minutes of the game. We focused on that, we regrouped and we were better (last night).'

Senior forward Jarrod Uthoff put up one of his best performances in his regular-season finale, scoring 29 points on 11 of 19 shooting. Uthoff, who was named a Wooden Award finalist, joins Duke's Shane Battier (1999-00, 2000-01) as the second player nationally the last 20 years to average two blocks and two 3-pointers per game. He scored 16 points in the first half and hit four 3-pointers.

'I'm happy for Jarrod,' Clemmons said. 'This is what everybody wants to see out of him. They want to see that every day. He showed that he can do that. Now it's time to really buckle down and do it every time you step on the floor. You never know if he comes up short one night, that might be part of the game and we lose.

'Aggressive Jarrod or aggressive Pete (Jok) opens up Iowa basketball.'

Iowa center Adam Woodbury grabbed 11 rebounds to fall just two shy of tying for the Big Ten crown. Woodbury added nine points.

Iowa can earn the No. 4 seed and a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament if Maryland beats Indiana and Purdue tops Wisconsin on Sunday. Otherwise Iowa is the No. 5 seed.

The fifth seed plays around 1:30 p.m. Thursday against the winner of Wednesday's 12-13 game. The fourth seed has a double bye and doesn't play until 1:30 p.m. Friday.

Iowa swept Michigan for the first time since 1996 and only the third time since 1967. Iowa has won four straight in the series. For Clemmons, a Michigan native, the sweep capped a perfect season against his home state. The Hawkeyes also beat Michigan State twice.

'Four and oh. Let's get that right,' he said. 'To be able to that my last year, it means a lot.'

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