Takeaways: Iowa's Improbable Comeback

Hawkeyes Rally Down 10 with :39 on Clock Saturday Against MSU

Iowa's Ahron Ulis (right) is fouled by Michigan State's Malik Hall on Feb. 25, 2023 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. (Rob Howe/HawkeyeNation.com)

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Iowa Basketball fans experienced a "where were you when" moment Saturday with what went down here at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Their team pulled off an improbable comeback against Michigan State in front of a sold-out, Gold Out crowd. 

The Hawkeyes trailed by 10 points with 39 seconds remaining in the second half, tied it by the end of regulation and pulled off what looked like an impossible task in overtime. The 112-106 final was the first Big Ten game in the last 25 seasons in which both teams scored 100-plus points in regulation. 

My Takeaways... 

STATISTICAL ANOMALY

After Saturday's unlikely outcome, if you were wondering what rarities occurred, you were not alone. 

I found a few: 

-The 218 total points are the third-most in a Big Ten conference game over the last 40 seasons.

-Iowa trailed by 11 points with 55 seconds remaining in regulation. It's  the fourth team to ever win when down 11+ with less than one minute remaining. Texas A&M (down 12 with 33 seconds left vs. UNI in 2016), UNLV (down 11 with 59 seconds left vs. SDSU in 2005), Nevada (down 11 with 59 seconds left vs. New Mexico in 2017).

-Saturday’s contest was the highest scoring game in series history, dating back to 1937. It topped a 102-98 Iowa win in East Lansing on Feb. 26, 1972.

-According to people a lot smarter than me (I know, not saying much), the Spartans had a 98.8 chance of winning up 13 with 2:03 left in the second half. 

THE CLINCHER

Not that it's done, but for all intents and purposes the Hawkeyes (18-11 overall, 10-8 Big Ten) clinched an NCAA Tournament berth Saturday if they hadn't already. They've secured a .500 record in a conference ranked third in the RPI. 

Defending champion Iowa kept alive its hopes of a coveted double-bye in next month's Big Ten Tournament as well. At worst, it wiped out any chance of playing on Day 1. 

The Hawkeyes are off to Indiana Tuesday and then play host to Nebraska on March 5 in the regular-season finale. 

ANALYZING OVERALL PERFORMANCE

Iowa allowed 101 points in regulation and 106 overall. Saying the defense stunk would not be stepping out of line. 

Still, Michigan State made plenty of defended shots. It hit 11 of 15 three-point attempts, which is hard to do unguarded. 

On offense, the Hawkeyes performed much better Saturday than they had making just 6 of 52 from three-point range in losses at Northwestern and Wisconsin coming into this contest. If that had continued, it's the dog-in-the-burning-house cartoon GIF. 

They moved well without the ball, moved the ball side-to-side, attacked the rim and created trey attempts in the flow of the offense. It resulted in 50.7 percent field-goal shooting, including 17 of 36 from behind the arc with 25 assists on 38 baskets. 

When Iowa is going like that on offense, it can outscore most teams, and it had to on Saturday. 

THE STARE-DOWN 

McCaffery received a technical foul in the second half, and another would have meant his second ejection in seven days. The Hawkeyes did not need that. 

So, later in the half, the veteran coach refrained from berating veteran official Kelly Pfiefer. Instead, he engaged him in a staring contest. 

The move was met with mix reaction on social media and elsewhere, which is common these days. It also was funny. 

Go ahead and watch it again. Try not to laugh. 

McCaffery loses the benefit of the doubt from some folks based on history. It's hard to watch sometimes. 

This just wasn't one of those times. McCaffery didn't get in Pfiefer's face. No words were exchanged. It ended quickly. And the official was the last one to make a move. 

Better if it didn't happen? Sure, it takes away from the accomplishment for some people. But in the end, although possibly a little uncomfortable to watch, not a huge deal.