In just the opening minutes of the contest, Iowa's Owen Freeman found himself in trouble, picking up his second foul and being sidelined for the rest of the half. Michigan basketball quickly seized the initiative, building a 20 - 4 lead. However, the Hawkeyes showed remarkable resilience and charged back, cutting the deficit to a mere three as they headed into the locker room. In the second half, Iowa finally took the lead. But Michigan responded with a ten - point surge, only to see the Hawkeyes roar back and tie the game with just 30 seconds remaining.

Game - Winning Moment

Roddy Gayle had a golden opportunity, driving to the bucket and attempting to lay it up. But Iowa committed a goaltending foul, giving the Wolverines a two - point edge with four seconds on the clock. Iowa had one last chance to turn the tide, but their 3 - point attempt was well defended by Nimari Burnett and came up short. This gave Michigan basketball its first 2 - 0 start in the Big Ten since 2020.

Wolverines Dominate the Paint

In front of a packed crowd at the Crisler Center, the Wolverines showed their dominance in the paint. Even though the last two points came from there without the ball actually going in the basket, it was clear that Iowa's defense was struggling against the likes of Gayle, Tre Donaldson, Danny Wolf, and Vlad Goldin. These players found their ways to the hoop time and time again, contributing significantly to Michigan's points.

Hawkeyes' Deep Shooting Keeps Them in the Game

The Hawkeyes managed to stay in the game thanks to their exceptional shooting from deep. They nailed nine triples, with seven of them coming from the Sandfort brothers. Josh Dix, who had won the Northwestern game with a buzzer - beater, scored 16 points. Their ability to hit from long range kept them in contention until the very end.