Four players scored in double figures and freshman Sam Logic finished with the program's fourth triple double as the Iowa women's basketball team dropped Michigan on Senior Day at Carver Hawkeye Arena.
Logic finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, while freshman Melissa Dixon scored a game-high and career-high 22 points as Iowa won 79-71.
The Hawkeyes have now won eight straight games and finished tied for second in the Big Ten Conference standings at 11-5. It was the team's 19th win this season.
"When you think of where we were a month ago, to think that we are tied for second in this conference right now is amazing," Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said. "And a large part of that is because of our seniors, and we wanted to win this game for our seniors. That was really important for us."
Senior Kamille Wahlin added 19 points, five rebounds and five assists for Iowa, while junior center Morgan Johnson turned in 15 points and six rebounds. Besides Wahlin, the Hawkeyes also honored seniors Kelly Krei, Kallie Hansen, Hannah Draxton and Megan Considine after the win in front of more than 6,000 fans.
"It was important for us, it was our last home game, last time to play in Carver," Bluder said. "We wanted to send a big thank‑you to our amazing support we have had this year. I didn't know where we were going to finish up; we were the 17th best‑attended team in the country coming into this game. We have had great support all year and just appreciate our fans so very, very much. They mean a lot to us."
Iowa shot 47 percent from the field and made 12 3-pointers. Dixon was 6-for-15 from long range. The Hawkeyes out-rebounded Michigan 43-37.
For Logic, it was her fourth straight double-double and sixth double-double this season. She is making a really strong push for Big Ten Freshman of the Year even though the bulk of her body of work has come in the past three weeks.
"People don't understand how hard it is to get a triple‑double," Bluder said. "That's, what, the fourth one in the history of Iowa women's basketball? And you think of the tradition of our program; and the great players that we have had go through our program; and to have her only be the fourth person that's ever achieved that, it is a difficult feat."
The Hawkeyes trailed 21-13 with 11:24 to go in the first half. But Iowa used multiple runs to get back in the game. A 7-0 run made it 21-20 with 9:38 to play until halftime. Michigan pushed the lead back to six, but an 8-0 run by the Hawkeyes gave Iowa a two-point lead with 5:45 on the clock.
Iowa trailed 32-31 with 4:50 on the clock but regained the lead with another 8-0 run. That made it a seven-point game, and the Hawkeyes eventually led by 11 at the break.
The win extends Iowa's win streak to eight games and locks up the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Iowa finished 11-5 in league play, which was tied for second with Ohio State, Michigan State and Purdue.
"It's been fun, it really has been, and I think we have really rode the momentum. We have enjoyed it. They have come to practice, focused, wanting to keep it going," Bluder said of the win streak. "But I think this team always really believed it. I think when we were sitting there at the end of January, we looked at our schedule and we really felt as a team that we could do this."
Four Wolverines also scored in double figures with Kate Thompson leading the way with 14 points. Sam Arnold, Carmen Reynolds and Rachel Sheffer each had 13 points in the loss. Reynolds had six rebounds as well.
Bluder does not think it will be tough for her Hawkeyes to get ready for the Big Ten Tournament. The team will have to win three games in three days to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. If the Hawkeyes do not win the tourney, they are likely headed to their fifth straight tournament as an at-large squad.
"It's not that hard. When you've got an eight‑game win streak, your team is pretty excited to come to practice," Bluder said. "They are pretty excited to put the uniform on again and go, especially now that we know what's at stake.
"It's three games, now. It's three games at the Big Ten tournament, and we'll go one at a time. We are thinking that the first one is going to be against Nebraska or Northwestern. You know, Nebraska has gotten us twice, and we would love to play them again."
Notes: The game featured eight lead changes. ... It was the 11th winning season for Iowa during Bluder's 12-year run at Iowa. The Hawkeyes also have finished in the upper half of the Big Ten for the ninth time under Bluder. ... Iowa set the school record for assists in a season Sunday with 476. ... Perhaps the biggest stat for Logic in the game was the fact that she had a triple-double with just one turnover. ... Michigan dropped to 19-10 on the season and 8-8 in league play. ... Considine and Draxton suffered season-ending injuries this season and did not play for the Hawkeyes. Considine did dress Sunday though and made it into the game when it was in doubt late in the second half. She had an emotional exchange with Wahlin before Wahlin left the game to a standing ovation.
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