The Iowa men’s basketball team blew an 11-point second-half lead and fell to No. 8 Michigan State, 91-84, Thursday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Spartans outright clinched the Big Ten regular-season title with the victory. Head coach Tom Izzo and guard Jase Richardson stood near the announcers’ table amid a smattering of Spartan fans as chants of  “Go Green, Go White,” rang inside an arena gradually draining of black and gold. 

Meanwhile, the Hawkeyes had made their way to the locker room, similarly drained of energy after a hard-fought first half dissolved into their second straight loss. Sitting at 15-15 overall and 6-13 in the Big Ten, Iowa has one game remaining in the regular season with its Big Ten Tournament hopes hanging by a thread. 

Michigan State scored 61 points in the second half, shooting 61 percent from the floor and drilling 5-of-11 triples. Richardson joined guard Jaden Atkins and Jaxon Kohler as double-digit scorers in the second half. Richardson, a first-year from Denver, scored a game-high 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting. 

“[Michigan State] went in and adjusted [at halftime] and brought out some stuff that overloaded our zone defense,” senior forward Payton Sandfort said after the game.

Sandfort explained how the Spartan centers drew attention down in the paint by posting up, taking away attention from shooters in the corner. Michigan State shot 33 percent from deep, a slight improvement from its 29 percent mark on the season.

Third-year guard Josh Dix topped the Hawkeyes with 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting. He was followed by forwards Seydou Traore and Sandfort with 15 points apiece. Iowa lost to Michigan State for the second time in the last seven games. 

Sandfort played 35 minutes in his final game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, hitting 4-of-12 shots from the field. After the game, he displayed cuts and bruises on his arms, as well as a gaping hole in his white jersey, saying he was “ordered to” display the physicality of the matchup. Sandfort, a Waukee High School graduate who scored more than 1,500 points in his Hawkeye career, shared a moment with Michigan head coach Tom Izzo in the postgame handshake line.

“Sandfort has had a hell of a career,” Izzo said. “It was an honor and a privilege to have him in this league.”

The Hawkeyes pushed a seven-point halftime lead to as many as 11, shooting 53 percent from the field during the span. Sandfort did his best to ignite the home crowd with his second one-handed jam attempt, but was fouled and went to the line. Michigan State then launched itself back into contention with an 11-0 run highlighted by an alley-oop dunk from Coen Carr on a fast break. The jam gave the Spartans their first lead of the second half. 

Another Carr slam regained the lead for the visitors, who held the advantage the rest of the way. Foul trouble for the Hawkeyes put the Spartans in the double bonus with more than eight minutes remaining and the visitors took advantage, knocking down 18-of-27 attempts from the charity stripe. 

When asked about the defense disparity after halftime, Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery chalked up his reasoning to the statistic.

“Twenty-seven free throws in the second half,” he said curtly.

Senior Even Brauns was the first Hawkeye to suffer the whistle, picking up his fifth foul and heading to the bench amid an applauding crowd. Born and raised in Iowa City, Brauns played his last game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tapping his right hand on his heart to show his appreciation, Brauns face betrayed his actions. He was grateful but dejected nonetheless. 

“Put him on the scout team, put him in the starting lineup, bring him off the bench, play him in crunch time, don’t play him at all. He just comes with it every day,” McCaffery said of Brauns, who transferred from Belmont ahead of last season. “That’s character. He wanted to come home and play here.”

The Spartans connected on four of their first seven shots to jump to a six-point lead by the first media timeout. The Hawkeyes responded with a switch to a 3-2 zone, forcing a turnover and embarking on a 22-2 run, featuring two triples from sophomore forward Pryce Sandfort, and five points from Brauns. 

Pryce Sandfort finished the contest with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field. The forward has scored at least eight points off the bench in six of Iowa’s last eight games.

“He’s just completing the picture,” McCaffery said. “He’s catch-and-shoot, but now he’s taking shots off the bounce, getting to the rim, getting to the free-throw line. Defensively, he’s improving, using his length.”

Second-year guard Brock Harding capped the surge with a steal and assist on the other end, dishing the ball behind his back under the basket to Traore, leaving an irate Izzo and the Spartans looking up a 14-point deficit. 

“It was a tough win. The final score was not indicative of the game,” Izzo said. “[Iowa] did a hell of a job getting shots and back-cutting and moving. It’s the toughest offense to cover that I’ve covered all year. And we played Kansas, Carolina, and Memphis.”

After a timeout, Michigan State regrouped and found its stroke from beyond the arc, knocking down three attempts and cutting the lead to seven at the break. Iowa shot 48 percent from the floor but only 3-of-10 from distance as Payton Sandfort and Ladji Dembele each picked up two fouls. Michigan State shot only 40 percent from the field and coughed up six turnovers, leading to nine Hawkeye points. 

Iowa senior guard Drew Thelwell limped off the floor at the end of the game. He played 28 minutes and finished with seven points. McCaffery confirmed Thelwell reinjured the same ankle that held the Hawkeye out of multiple games this season.

Up Next 

Iowa closes out the regular season with a trip to Lincoln to take on rival Nebraska. Tip-off is set for 11:30 a.m. Central Time on Sunday, March 9. The Huskers have lost four straight and are 17-13 overall with a 7-12 mark in conference play, ranking 11th in the Big Ten. 

Coach Fred Hoiberg’s squad ranks 13th in the Big Ten in points per game and eighth in points allowed. Senior guard Brice Williams leads the team and conference in scoring, averaging 20.2 points per game. His most recent effort was a 43-point outburst in a double overtime loss to Ohio State. 

The defeat provided a momentous opportunity for the Hawkeyes. With a win, Iowa can clinch a spot in the Big Ten Tournament as the 15th and final seed.