IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- Michigan's LaVell Blanchard swished his
first shot, a 3-pointer, from the top of the key 17 seconds into
the game and never let up.
|  | | Michigan's LaVell Blanchard, right, keeps the ball away from Iowa's Jared Reiner because he constantly needed the rock to score his 30 points.
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Blanchard finished with a career-high 30 points and the
Wolverines withstood a furious Iowa rally to beat the Hawkeyes 70-69 Saturday.
"The thing that I was most satisfied with him was his shot
selection. When he picks good ones, he will make them," Michigan
coach Brian Ellerbe said.
Blanchard, who fouled out with 1:13 remaining as Iowa (No. 16 ESPN/USA Today; No. 14 Associated Press) was
climbing back from a double-digit deficit, was quick to deflect
praise.
"Sometimes you just get lucky. I got some great screens by the
big fellas inside and the guys got me the ball in the right
spots," he said.
Bernard Robinson added 15 points and Josh Asselin 10 for the
Wolverines (8-8, 2-3 Big Ten), who snapped a 10-game road losing
streak.
"Our team never lost confidence. We are young and
inexperienced, but we fought hard," Ellerbe said.
Reggie Evans scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Iowa
(14-4, 3-2). Luke Recker added 18 points and Dean Oliver 14 for the
Hawkeyes, who dropped their second consecutive game and lost at home for the first time in 10 games this season.
Iowa coach Steve Alford was so upset with the Hawkeyes' play
that he refused to allow players to talk with reporters after the
game.
"I thought they came in here with a big-time mission and I
think our guys came in full of themselves," Alford said. "I
thought Michigan played harder. They deserved to win.
"These are good lessons for our kids to learn tonight. If this
was when I played, we'd be on the floor right now practicing,"
said Alford, who played for Bob Knight at Indiana. "But the NCAA
rules don't allow that, so we'll get home in time to watch College
Basketball Tonight."
The Hawkeyes, who shot only 20.7 percent in the first half,
trailed 54-39 with 11:31 to play when they started their rally with
a 14-5 spurt that pulled them to six down with 5:58 remaining.
The Wolverines regained control, and Robinson's two free throws
with 1:36 to play gave his team a 69-59 lead. Oliver answered with
two free throws and then a 3-pointer to cut the Michigan lead to
69-64 with 1:22 to play.
A diving Ryan Hogan knocked the ball loose from Robinson on
Michigan's inbound pass, and Evans scooped it up and laid it in and
then sunk a free throw to complete a three-point play that pulled
Iowa to 69-67 with 1:13 left.
A free throw by Avery Queen, a 33 percent free throw shooter,
gave the Wolverines a 70-67 edge before a Recker's driving layup
made it 70-69 with 46.6 seconds to play.
The Hawkeyes had a chance to win the game in the final 10.4
seconds, but Evans missed a lay-in with 2.6 seconds remaining and
Oliver misfired on an off-balance baseline jumper at the buzzer.
Blanchard, whose previous best was 28 points against Bowling
Green last month, hit 12 of 19 field goals, including three
3-pointers.
Iowa sunk only six field goals in the opening 20 minutes and
trailed 36-24 at halftime. The Hawkeyes shot only 38.6 percent from
the field for the game compared to 47.1 percent for Michigan.
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ALSO SEE
Men's College Basketball Scoreboard
Michigan Clubhouse
Iowa Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Michigan upsets Iowa despite Iowa's last-second attempt.
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