Through one half of action on Saturday at Chrysler Center, the parallels to Michigan's first meeting with Iowa and its second meeting with Iowa were pretty striking.

Wolverines in both games led by two at the half.

Michigan was in desperate need of a victory back in December coming off some gut punch losses in overtime against Oregon and then at home in the Big Ten opener against Indiana.

Well, Michigan, of course, right now struggling. They've only won once in the month of January.

And also, just in terms of how the game was going, plenty of offense, and Michigan was largely

limiting Peyton Sanford, such a lethal score who was the key in Iowa's win over Michigan last season.

The second halfs could not have been any different.

Back in December, Michigan dominated.

They went on a huge run early, never looked back, won it by 10.

In the second half on Saturday, it was the complete opposite.

Iowa outscored Michigan 46 to 34. The Wolverines

missed 11 of their final 12 field goals. There was about a 10-minute stretch where Michigan did not

make a shot from the floor. Peyton Sanford figured it out, 26 points, 6 of 8 from the floor, and Michigan could not

slow down him or the Hawkeyes who limited Michigan to just 28% shooting in the second

half. A lot of different ways you can go on this one. Certainly not many of them are good,

but you think back to that December game.

And it felt like an opportunity for Michigan to kind of revive the season a little bit.

They got back a home loss in Big Ten play with a road win.

And then, of course, we learned a few days later that Joanne Howard would return to the bench

for the Eastern Michigan game, and Michigan

won that one handily.

Since then, Michigan has won just once.

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