No. 3 Michigan defeated Iowa 71-68 on Thursday night, with the Wolverines held 18 points below their season scoring average but managing to hold off the Hawkeyes in Iowa City. In a back-and-forth contest that featured 14 lead changes and eight ties, Michigan found a way in the final seconds to seal a 71-68 road victory. The game lived up to the hype for Iowa's home finale, with both teams trading blows throughout.
Bennett Stirtz led Iowa with 21 points, but the effort wasn't quite enough. Michigan made life difficult on Stirtz, who finished 7-of-23 from the field and 4-of-14 from deep, with a chance to tie the game as time expired but unable to convert. Cam Manyawu tied the score at 64-64 with a dunk at the 1:57 mark, then Michigan's Aday Mara hit a 21-foot bank shot, and Manyawu tied it again with a layup, showing how tight things remained until the final buzzer.
The win marks the first time in program history that a Michigan team has gone undefeated on the road. Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. led the way with 16 points each, with Lendeborg scoring 11 of his 16 in the second half and pulling in eight rebounds. Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara (who finished with 14 points) had two tiebreaking shots in the final 1:22, sealing one of the season's most dramatic finishes. Iowa falls to 20-10 overall while Michigan improves to 28-2 with one of the best seasons in program history.