It wasn’t your typical Big Ten game. Or your typical
Michigan game for that matter.

The Wolverines, who averaged 68 points per game coming in,
scored 90 points for the first time in a regular season game since
December 2001, beating Iowa 90-84 at Crisler Arena. Both teams shot
better than 50 percent for the game.

With the win, the Wolverines (3-3 Big Ten, 12-5 overall) jumped
two spots to fifth in the congested Big Ten standings.

“I’m very proud of our kids for the effort, knowing
that we needed to defend our home court if we wanted to stay alive
in our conference race,” coach Tommy Amaker said.

Michigan, as it has done many times this season, came out trying
to establish the inside game. The Wolverines fed the ball to
freshman Courtney Sims in the post. The 6-foot-11 Sims abused
Iowa’s 6-foot-7 forward Glen Worley to the tune of nine
points in the first 10 minutes of action. Sims finished with a
career-high 16 points.

“Heck, he even made a three,” said Amaker of
Sims’ longball late in the game.

Sophomore Lester Abram led the Wolverines with a
characteristically efficient 24 points on 12 shots. His four
3-pointers led Michigan’s 45-percent, 30-point barrage from
downtown.

The Wolverines pulled out to an 11-point lead with nine minutes
remaining in the first half, but a 15-0 Hawkeyes’ run gave
Iowa its first edge at 33-31.

“Every time we made a run, they just kept coming
back,” Abram said. “They were tough to put
away.”

The Wolverines answered with an 8-0 stretch at the end of the
first stanza to take a seven-point lead into the locker room.

Then, the refs took over.

After calling a total of just 13 personal fouls in the first
half, the officials stopped play time and time again in the second
— 33 second-half fouls led to 47 total free throws. One
player on each team fouled out. During one stretch midway through
the half, there were free throws shot on four straight
possessions.

Michigan guard Daniel Horton, who was battling an illness all
day Tuesday, shut-down Iowa’s second-leading scorer, Jeff
Horner.

Horton took advantage of his quickness by guarding Horner (who
was averaging 12 points per game coming in) along the 3-point line
and forcing him to put the ball on the floor.

“I can’t imagine any game he faces in the Big Ten
where he’s the quickest and most athletic guy,” said
Iowa coach Steve Alford of Horner. “He’s going to have
to learn to play with that.”

Freshman Brent Petway came off the bench to spark the Wolverines
on defense as well. He blocked three shots and grabbed seven
rebounds in 13 minutes of playing time.

He also drew an emphatic charge on Worley in the second half,
giving the Iowa forward his fourth foul of the game.

“I pride myself on the defensive end,” Petway said.
“I don’t like people scoring on me.”

Alford admitted after the game that it was a tough contest to
coach personally. On Tuesday, the Iowa coach lost his grandmother
due to a stroke.

“There (were) no warning signs,” Alford said after
last night’s game.

Michigan will head to Illinois on Saturday looking to steal a
road win from the Fighting Illini.

According to Horton, the team will have to play better defense
to win in Champaign.

“That’s what this team is about, is defense,”
Horton said.

But for one night at least, the offense stole the show.