Michigan went without a field goal through one 10-minute stretch in the second half. The Wolverines were outrebounded by seven and shot just 37.3 percent from the field. But they still managed to escape with a 55-47 victory over Iowa on Thursday in their opening-round game of the Big Ten tournament and move into a Friday meeting with top-seeded Wisconsin.
This was not a pretty affair, and so it was no surprise that defense keyed the ninth-seeded Wolverines’ victory. Michigan limited the No. 8 Hawkeyes to just 31.9 percent shooting overall and to 11.8 percent shooting on three-pointers (2 of 17). More impressively, it also held them without a field goal for 16 minutes in the second half.
Freshman guard Manny Harris led the Wolverines with 19 points, and forward DeShawn Sims had 14. But this one, clearly, was not about offense. It was about surviving, which Michigan managed.