Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On January 7, 1989, Dr. Tom Davis’s ninth-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes went on the road for a top-10 showdown with sixth-ranked North Carolina. Roy Marble hit a controversial game-winning free throw after officials seemingly mixed up the correct shooter to lift Iowa to a 98-97 win.
A red-hot Hawkeye hoops squad entered the contest with a 12-1 record. Featuring the all-time great Iowa duo of Marble, BJ Armstrong, and Ed Horton, Iowa came into the game fresh off a road win over Michigan State two nights prior. The trio shined in the victory, with Horton notching 21 points and 19 rebounds, while Marble chipped in 23 and Armstrong 21. The Hawkeyes relentlessly went to the boards throughout the contest, racking up an overwhelming 29 offensive rebounds.
With the score tied at 97 with under twenty seconds to play, Marble missed a jumper. Horton went to corral the rebound, only to be fouled by Tar Heel Steve Bucknall. However, much to the chagrin of North Carolina coach Dean Smith, the officials sent Marble to the charity stripe. Marble hit one of two free throws to put the Hawkeyes up by one with just eleven seconds to play. Carolina raced toward the other end, only to have Hawkeye freshman Ray Thompson block a desperate last-second three-point attempt. The Hawks held on for the memorable win, and the officiating crew defended, putting Marble on the line at the end of the game.
Iowa went on to finish the season with a 23-10 overall record and finished fourth in the Big 10 with a 10-8 conference record. The fourth seed in the East Region of the NCAA tournament, the Hawkeyes captured a first-round win over Rutgers before ultimately falling to NC State in the second round. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
