IOWA CITY – They won after scoring fewer points in the first half than in any half this season.
They won after two key starters got into foul trouble in the second half.
And they have their first winning streak since the season’s opening weekend.
In its 60-52 victory over Iowa last night, the Michigan men’s basketball team overcame a large deficit and may have given the John Beilein era its first good memory in an otherwise bleak season.
After scoring just 16 points and shooting a horrendous 33.3 percent from the field before halftime, the Wolverines used second-half runs of 10-2 and 18-2 to propel themselves to an unlikely victory.
The win is even more impressive considering freshman Manny Harris and sophomore Ekpe Udoh sat out significant portions of the second half with foul trouble. It was a resiliency that had been non-existent so far this season.
“The first half was just treacherous,” redshirt freshman Anthony Wright said. “We just weren’t there. I don’t know what happened.”
Wright had eight critical points down the stretch with Harris on the bench.
“We came in at halftime and made some adjustments,” Wright said. “We just executed. That’s all it was, execution.”
Michigan – and specifically Harris – came storming out of the locker room, going on a 10-2 run after halftime to get itself back into the ballgame.
The Detroit native – held scoreless in the first half – was the main catalyst. Thanks to his five points, two rebounds, one steal and one assist in the second half’s first three minutes, the Wolverines (2-9 Big Ten, 7-17 overall) had nearly eliminated an 11-point deficit. He finished with a team-high 15 points and iced the game by going 8-for-8 from the free throw line.
And his aggressiveness sparked others on the floor.
Senior Ron Coleman scored five quick points after not attempting a field goal in the first half. And freshman Kelvin Grady had his best game of the season, dishing out nine assists and committing no turnovers.
With 11 minutes remaining in the second half, Michigan had already surpassed its depressing 16-point total in the first frame.
“The first four minutes – once that happened, it was a ballgame,” Beilein said. “I think we’ve had a lot of bad halves of basketball, so we’ve had a lot of practice in that area.”
Michigan’s deficit at halftime was just 11 because Iowa wasn’t much better shooting the ball in the first half, going 11-for-28 from the field. For the game, the Hawkeyes (4-8, 11-14) made just 36.5 percent of their shots and missed 21 3-pointers.
On the other hand, Michigan was a blistering 54 percent from the field en route to 44 second-half points.
Last night was a performance Beilein and his suddenly-scrappy bunch hope to carry into Sunday’s home game against Ohio State.
“This is what we hope you’ll see in the future,” said a beaming Beilein.