Iowa erases late 13-point deficit, stuns Michigan State 112-106 in overtime

The Michigan State Spartans had the Iowa Hawkeyes dead to rights in their Big Ten clash this afternoon...and then experienced a meltdown of epic proportions.

Iowa miraculously erased a 13-point deficit with 1:34 left in regulation, storming back to topple Michigan State 112-106 in overtime. The Hawkeyes buried five threes in the final 39 seconds of regulation to tie the game and then carried that momentum into OT to complete an improbable comeback. Just take a look at the win probability chart to get a sense for how crazy their comeback was.

This was a tight, high-scoring affair throughout the afternoon and Michigan State (17-11, 9-8 Big Ten) grabbed control late in the second half, pushing its lead to double digits with 4:03 left and causing some fans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena to hit the exits early.

However, Iowa (18-11, 10-8 Big Ten) had different plans.

Trailing by 10 with 10 seconds left, Connor McCaffery and Kris Murray buried back-to-back threes to suddenly bring the Hawkeyes within four. Over the next 20 seconds of game time, they would on two occasions answer AJ Hoggard free throws with a pair of threes, one by Connor McCaffery and another by his brother Patrick, to cut into the deficit even more. After Hoggard made just one of two attempts on his next trip to the line, Payton Sandfort would come through with another bomb from downtown to tie the game with three seconds left and send the crowd in Iowa City, IA, into a frenzy.

The Hawkeyes would carry that crazy wave of momentum into overtime as an emphatic Tony Perkins dunk with 1:05 left would effectively put an exclamation point on a remarkable comeback. Murray ended up leading Iowa with 26 points and eight rebounds.

As far as the NCAA Tournament goes, both teams are solidly in the field according to bracketology experts as the Big Ten could get upwards of nine teams into the big dance.