By Pat Harty

Different opponent.

Same depressing story for the Iowa men’s basketball team.

This time it was the Michigan Wolverines who exposed Iowa for what it is at this point in a lost season, winning 74-59 at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Iowa trailed by at least eight points for the entire second half and has lost five consecutive road games by at least 14 points

The combination of too many turnovers (15) and not enough defense proved costly again for the Hawkeyes, who fell to 3-12 in the Big Ten and 12-16 overall.

"I think that's part of it, but I don't think it's all of it" freshman center Luka Garza said of turnovers on the post-game radio show. "I think a lot of it has to do with our intensity on defense. We continue to allow people to go where they want to go and we're not really offering the resistance that's necessary to win games." 

Michigan junior forward Duncan Robinson made six 3-point baskets, including three in a row during a critical stretch midway through the second half, as the Wolverines completed the season sweep of Iowa.

“It felt good to make some,” Robinson said on the Big Ten Network. “I’ve had some stretches this year when they weren’t falling.”

With just three games remaining, Iowa is now assured of finishing the regular season with a losing record for the first time since Fran McCaffery’s first season as the Iowa head coach in 2010-11.

The 6-foot-11 Garza was the lone bright spot for Iowa, scoring 22 points despite being in foul trouble.

Sophomore point guard Jordan Bohannon spent most of the game being hounded by Michigan’s quicker guards and had little room to shoot. Bohannon only attempted five shots and was held to seven points.

Sophomore forward Tyler Cook only took nine shots and scored 10 points.

It is hard enough for Iowa to win when Bohannon and Cook score lots of points, but it’s virtually impossible when they combine for just 17 points and 14 shots.

Iowa bolted to a 7-0 lead on two baskets by Garza and a three in transition by Bohannon.

But then Iowa committed a turnover on three consecutive possessions and suddenly the lead was trimmed to 9-8 and Michigan had the momentum.

The Wolverines eventually took the lead about midway through the first half and then expanded it to 13 points by halftime.

Michigan made seven 3-point baskets in the first half, while Iowa committed 12 turnovers of its 15 turnovers in the first 20 minutes.

Robinson made all three of his shots from 3-point range in the first half, which ended with Michigan leading 37-24.

He then made three consecutive threes in the second half, the third giving Michigan a 58-42 lead with 10 minutes remaining.

Iowa made its first five field-goal attempts in the first half, but then finished the half just 6-of-21 from the field. That pretty much describes Iowa's season in which inconsistency has been an ongoing problem.

The second half never felt in doubt as Iowa failed to mount much of a threat.

The good news is that Iowa’s next game is at home against Indiana on Saturday. The Hawkeyes haven’t played great at home this season, but they have shown a pulse at Carver-Hawkeye Arena with victories over Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Part of Iowa’s motivation besides playing for pride and respect should be to avoid playing on the first day of the Big Ten Tournament as one of the conference’s bottom four teams.

This season is beyond repair, barring the biggest miracle since the Miracle on Ice, but it could get worse if the players and coaches don’t figure a way to stop the bleeding.

Iowa’s defense also seems beyond repair at this point. Michigan only shot 41.8 percent from the field, but still won easily.

The Hawkeyes also shot just 2-of-10 from 3-point range.

So this was a total team effort in which Iowa’s offense and defense fed off each other to lose yet another game by double figures.

Michigan coach John Beilein was asked to comment on Iowa after the game and he pointed to Iowa's youth. McCaffery started three sophomores and two freshmen in Wednesday's game.

"They're so young, " Beilein said. "They've got freshmen and sophomores out there all over the place. And that sophomore class that they've got right now, and the young big kid (Garza), they've got a lot of talent. Just watch it over over the next couple years."

 The problem is watching it now.