After back-to-back home losses to Purdue and Maryland, Iowa hit the road in need of a pick-me-up. A reeling Michigan team, losers of seven of their last eight games, turned out to be just what the doctor ordered.

After a back and forth first half, Iowa took control in the second half and cruised to an 88-78 win over the Wolverines in Ann Arbor. Iowa improved to 12-8 overall and 4-5 in Big Ten play with the victory.

Here are three takeaways from Iowa's much-needed road win.

Through the first 20 minutes, this game had an unmistakable feeling of deja vu. Iowa got blitzed by Michigan in the second half of the game back in December and the Wolverines largely picked up where they left off to start today's game. Strong shooting enabled Iowa to keep the game within reach, but Michigan led 44-42 at halftime after shooting 58% from the floor.

Over 40 minutes of game action (the second half of the game in December and the first half of this game), Iowa allowed Michigan to score 99 points. The Hawkeye defense was having no success slowing down the Wolverines.

Finally, in the second half, the tide turned. Iowa's offense clicked into high gear (46 points on 56% shooting, including 67% shooting from 3-point range) and the defense finally managed to get some stops. Michigan was held to just 34 points in the second half and went over nine minutes without scoring a single field goal toward the end of the game.

Scoring droughts at the end of the game are something Iowa is very familiar with -- 5-minute field goal droughts against Purdue and Maryland sunk Iowa's chances in those two previous games. The shoe was on the other foot this time and it contributed to a 14-0 run that Iowa used to blow the game open.

A field goal drought as long as the one Michigan endured is more than just good defense, of course. There was some definite bad luck involved for Michigan and some open looks that were simply... missed. It was also partly a case of some long-overdue regression to the mean for Michigan's shooting after some red-hot efforts earlier in the game and in the previous Iowa-Michigan game.

Still, when good fortune comes your way, you still need to take advantage of it, which is precisely what Iowa did. The Hawkeyes did some good things on defense as well, like preventing Michigan from getting to the rim as easily and forcing the Wolverines to settle for long jump shots. Iowa also did a better job of contesting Michigan's shots; Owen Freeman and Josh Dix (!) each had a pair of blocks in the second half.

The offensive stars for Iowa in the game -- and especially the second half -- were Tony Perkins and Payton Sandfort, who provided an unstoppable 1-2 punch that shredded Michigan near the rim and from deep. Perkins carried the load in the first half, with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting (1-of-2 from 3-point range). His scoring helped keep Iowa within striking distance.

Sandfort had just 5 points on 2-of-4 shooting (1-of-2 from deep) in the first half as he was limited to only 10 minutes of action after picking up a second foul halfway through the opening period. His time in two-foul jail on the bench left him well-rested for the second half, though, and he responded with a dynamite performance: 21 points on a sizzling 8-of-10 shooting, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range. He just could not miss.

While Sandfort was exploding, Perkins remained steady in the second half as well, adding 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting as well as four of his team-high five assists. Perkins was a reliable force on offense from start to finish in this game, and helped pace Iowa to victory -- and hit 1,000 points in his Iowa career.

Sandfort and Perkins were the flashiest parts of Iowa's scoring engine on Saturday, but credit to Owen Freeman as well. The freshman had another superb outing, finishing with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting (and 5-of-5 at the free throw line) and a team-high 9 rebounds. More importantly, he avoided foul trouble and played 36 minutes.

In Iowa's 90-80 loss to Michigan in December, the Wolverines outdid the Hawkeyes at the free throw line and behind the 3-point arc. Michigan made 23-of-28 free throws in that game, while Iowa was good-not-great 19-of-26 at the line. The disparity at the three-point line was even more glaring: Michigan shot 9-of-24 from long range, while Iowa was an ice-cold 5-of-20 from distance.

On Saturday, those stats didn't completely flip -- but they were far more favorable to the Hawkeyes. Michigan made 9-of-26 three-point attempts, but Iowa was far more efficient from deep, going 8-of-16 from behind the arc. At the free throw line, Michigan finished 15-of-20, while Iowa was a perfect 18-for-18 at the stripe.

Ultimately, 3-point shooting and free throws were a bit of wash -- Iowa and Michigan each scored 42 points from the free throw line or behind the 3-point arc. Iowa was better shooting the ball inside the arc (23-of-42 or 55% versus 18-of-37 or 49%), which paid off in the form of a 34-26 edge in points in the paint and a 9-4 advantage in fast break points. Eliminating Michigan's big advantages from deep and at the free throw line from the first game and being more effective around the rim powered Iowa to this win.

NEXT: Iowa heads to Bloomington to face Indiana (12-8, 4-5 Big Ten) on Tuesday (6 PM CT, BTN).