Iowa fought to the final seconds during a Senior Night contest against No. 3 Michigan, but ultimately came up short.
The Hawkeyes employed a suffocating defensive strategy, holding the high-powered Wolverines offense to a season-low 71 points.
The sad thing about the loss was how poorly the offense played, coming up short when it mattered most.
Iowa had at least three chances in the final minute to tie or take the lead, including on a last-second three-point heave by Bennett Stirtz that was just off the mark.
The loss marked back-to-back one-possession losses for the Hawkeyes, but the loss to Michigan was even more painful for head coach Ben McCollum.
McCollum is 'done being two points away'
McCollum acknowledged how great the crowd was in the loss, saying they have been great all year, and even though the program is trending in the right direction, he is sick of all the close losses.
Ben McCollum on Hawkeye Radio Network following the Hawkeyes' 71-68 loss to No. 3 Michigan.
— Sean Bock (@SBock247) March 6, 2026
"I'm done being two points away. This one was really heart-wrenching for me."
"We really appreciate the crowds this year. It's trending. It's headed in the right direction."
McCollum is done losing games by two points, and the loss to Michigan was especially heart-wrenching for the first-year head coach.
Peacock analyst and former Hawkeye basketball player Jess Settles nailed what he said on the broadcast when he said Iowa has outperformed expectations this season.
In ESPN's latest bracketology projection before the Big Ten Tournament next week, the Hawkeyes are listed as a nine-seed.
Iowa took a bad loss to Penn State before losing a close game to Michigan, and even though that loss was a big knock to their resume, the Hawkeyes are still projected to make the NCAA Tournament based on strength of schedule.
The Hawkeyes now have a 10-9 record in Quad 1 and 2 games, and have another prime opportunity to add a resume-defining win against Nebraska on the road to close out the regular season.