NOTEBOOK: Manny Harris helps Michigan win in overtime

Iowa's Eric May (25) blocks a shot by Michigan's Manny Harris (3) from behind during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010, in Iowa City, Iowa.

AP photo

Harris played the majority of overtime for Michigan on Tuesday in an 80-78 win over Iowa and was a big reason the Wolverines won their second-straight Big Ten road game for the first time since 2005-06.

He scored 20 points overall, including five of Michigan’s 14 points in the extra time and pushed the Wolverines. 

“Over the last couple of weeks we’ve seen him make great strides, take great ownership of the team and he’s not alone. But he’s really, in practice and in games and things like that, he’s still got a huge upside to his game,” Michigan coach John Beilein said. “He missed a couple easy shots there, missed a couple layups and then he hit a huge three when we needed him to off a broken play. So he’s got a lot of courage.

“We just try to channel it in the right direction because against some teams he runs into a wall when he’s really courageous. Today, he really showed some great courage.”

In addition to his 20 points, Harris had 10 rebounds and seven assists. He also got what his team needed most.

A win.

“I thought about last year when we went to overtime and we lost,” Harris said. “The whole time, I’m thinking and talking in the huddle, we know where we was last year and (Zack) Novak kept reminding us.

“We just knew we had to pull out this win.”

Wright doesn’t play

Senior forward Anthony Wright didn’t play in Tuesday’s win over Iowa because of an injury to the right side of his forehead.

The injury prevented Wright from practicing with contact in Monday’s practice, which limited what he could do Tuesday. Beilein declined to specify what led to the injury.

“The facts are, over the last day, I believe that Anthony had done nothing wrong to what the facts that were presented to me,” Beilein said. “If the facts change, then I will make appropriate action. But the facts are the facts that we discussed.”

Wright wore a blue headband during Tuesday’s game, which covered the injury which had been covered by white gauze. On Monday evening, Wright was seen with a large bandage over his right forehead.

Wright declined to comment about what happened when approached after the game Tuesday. When asked why he didn’t play, Wright said it was a “coach’s decision.”

More contributions from unlikely suspects

In Michigan’s past two road wins, the Wolverines have gotten key contributions from unlikely suspects.

Against Minnesota, Michigan had eight key points from fifth-year senior forward Zack Gibson, the most he’d scored in more than two months. In Iowa, Michigan saw another  member of the Wolverines’ bench reappear.

Sophomore guard Laval Lucas-Perry scored nine points in the first half - the most he’s scored in a game since a 16-point effort at Penn State on Jan. 7. He finished with 13 points, the most since that Penn State game.

“Laval’s first half was big for us,” Beilein said. “That he came off the bench and gave us that, Zack came off the bench and gave us a layup.

“We’re getting better. Whether it’s good enough to continue and keep winning, I don’t know. But these last two games, we’ve played very well.”

This and that

With 20 points, Harris moved into 15th place all time with 1,549 points, passing Jimmy King (1,542). Next up is Roy Tarpley, with 1,589 points. … With 10 rebounds, DeShawn Sims moved into 16th place at 676 rebounds, ahead of Cazzie Russell, with 669.

Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.