ANN ARBOR -- Despite facing an early double-digit deficit to Michigan on the road, Iowa fought back to nearly make a game-winning shot two games in a row, but Pryce Sandfort's three-pointer fell short, and the Hawkeyes fell to Michigan, 85-83. The Hawkeyes dropped to 7-2 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten.
Here are three takeaways from the loss.
This Team Fights
At the 12:28 mark in the first half, Iowa trailed 20-4. Both Brock Harding and Owen Freeman were already on the bench with two fouls each.
"I thought they jumped us, and we struggled to shoot the ball early. It was reminiscent of the Utah State game," Fran McCaffery told Bobby Hansen on the postgame radio broadcast. "I thought our shot selection was pretty good. We had good shooters getting good shots, but they didn't go."
Over the next eight minutes in the first half, Iowa proceeded to go on a 22-8 run to get the game back within two points.
"The place was packed, but we kept our composure and fought back in it," McCaffery continued. "We had some serious foul trouble in the first half."
In the second half, the Hawkeyes trailed by 11 with 6:30 left in the game. Payton Sandfort was integral in Iowa's second half comeback, scoring 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting and making a three-pointer that tied the game at 83 with 20 seconds remaining.
"They went on a little bit of a run," McCaffery said. "Our shot selection went south. That was the problem. We were quick shooting the ball. They weren't horrible shots, but we didn't drive the ball, we didn't make them play defense."
Iowa still didn't go away. Then the Hawkeyes went on a 18-7 run over the next 6:10 of game play.
"We competed in the second half," McCaffery continued. "[Michigan] is a team that prides itself on pressure defense, we turned it over four times. We had 15 offensive rebounds, which was a problem in the last game. I applauded the guys for that."
Free Throw Line and Rebounding Struggles Strike Again
Ultimately the Hawkeyes had their chances to pull out the victory. However, as a team, Iowa shot just 10-of-17 from the free throw line, good for 58.8%.
"We got there," McCaffery said. "But we struggled."
This was the second game in a row where the Hawkeyes shot less than 60% from the free throw line. On Tuesday against Northwestern, Iowa finished 11-of-19, for 57.9%.
On the rebounding side of things, the Wolverines out-rebounded the Hawkeyes, 45-30. Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin, Michigan's two talented 7-footers, combined to haul in 25 boards.
"We closed the gap because we got to the offensive glass," McCaffery said. "You've got to give your team second shot opportunities. What was frustrating in the first half is that when we were missing, we weren't getting them back."
Despite the second half effort that resulted in ten offensive boards, it wasn't enough.
"If your offense is sputtering and the shots are going in and out, you've got to go back and get them," McCaffery added. "Throw it back out and shoot another three, or go back up and get to the free throw line. We did that in the second half."
Shot Falls Just Short
In what was an 83-83 tie ball game with 16 seconds remaining, Michigan had possession. Out of a 30-second timeout, Roddy Gayle Jr. drove to the basket on Sandfort and converted on a layup that was deemed to be goal-tending by Freeman.
The controversial call was immediately reviewed by the officials, but the play stood as called, and Iowa got the ball back two with just over three seconds left in the contest.
Following Iowa's decision to advance the ball and call timeout with 1.5 seconds remaining, the 85-83 deficit remained, and McCaffery drew up a sideline-out-of-bounds play that resulted in a long pass to the opposite corner by Drew Thelwell. Despite a strong effort to haul in the pass and launch the three-pointer, Sandfort's shot fell just short.
"There's a couple things we can run there, but we ran what we ran," McCaffery said. "I thought Pryce got an okay look. He didn't really have time for a dribble and a shot. It had to be a catch-and-shoot. Great pass by Drew in that situation. In that situation, I just want to make sure we got a good shot."
"We had a great play drawn up," Sandfort added. "I was able to come down with it. It just didn't go in.
Following the game and the miss, McCaffery noted that there was a feeling of disappointment in the locker room.
"The guys are just exhausted -- physically, but also emotionally," he said. "Fighting back, fighting back, fighting back. Getting the lead, giving it back, tying the game. I'm really proud of that fight."
"We're not in that position if I don't get driven on and scored on," Sandfort lamented after the game. "I've got to take responsibility for that and get better."
Sandfort finished with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting
UP NEXT: Iowa will face off with in-state rival No. 6 Iowa State on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. CT in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The game will be broadcast on FS1.
