Michigan basketball has a chance to exact revenge on a Big Ten team that can only boast of beating the Wolverines this season. In January, Wisconsin stunned the Corn and Blues at the Crisler Center, handing Michigan its first loss of the season.
The two teams faced off again in the semifinals of the Big Ten Conference Tournament, and although the game started at Michigan’s pace, neither team was able to finish at the basket, giving Wisconsin a 3-2 lead at the first under-16 media timeout. Two minutes later, the two sides were tied at 6-6, with the Badgers shooting 18% and the Wolverines shooting 25%. With 12:45 left in the first half, Wisconsin led 9-6 and made all three field goals. Elliot Cadeau tied the game, but the Badgers fought back with 3 more points. At the time of the under-12 media timeout, Wisconsin led 12-9.
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With 10:22 left in the first half, Wisconsin led by five points, 16-11, but had no points other than a three-pointer and a free throw. Less than a minute later, the Wolverines were scoreless, shooting 27% from the field, and the Badgers were scoreless except for a 3-pointer (a breakaway layup) to extend the lead to seven points. Will Cutt responded with a three-pointer, Roddy Gale was fouled after a steal and a breakaway, and he made one of two free throws to pull Michigan within two points.
Both teams continued to give up goals, with Wisconsin giving up six and Roddy Gale giving up Michigan’s seventh. Aleksas Bieliauskas hit his third 3-pointer to extend the Badgers’ lead to five points. He made five 3-pointers in a game on January 10th, so he’s already close to that number. Gayle had a team-leading four points at this point, but he injured his right ankle, which caused some problems as the Wolverines were already without backup point guard L.J. Carson for the rest of the year (and likely next year). After the timeout, however, he seemed ready.
Another three-pointer (Wisconsin’s eighth) extended the Badgers’ lead to eight points at the under-four media timeout. Maurice Johnson Jr. made two free throws, Trey McKennie hit a three-pointer, and after Chet stole the ball, the Wolverines finally broke their six-minute shooting drought and narrowed the point difference to three points. Meanwhile, Michigan’s two stars – Axel Lundborg and Addai Mara – have yet to score. But with 1 minute and 15 seconds left in the half, Mara finally succeeded in a layup. When Biliuskas fouled him, he had a chance to equalize the score, but missed the free throw. Unlike Lundborg’s previous attempt, Nick Boyd completed his attempt at the basket to help Wisconsin pull within three. But Lundborg responded with a 3-pointer to equalize the score, and the two teams entered the locker room at halftime, tied at 28.
At the beginning of the second half, Mara scored his third point on a free throw, but he was denied the fourth point. He fouled at the other end and Bieliuskas paired up with the center. Mara hit a layup to break the deadlock again, and after the timeout, Burnett scored two points on a tip-in to extend Michigan’s lead to four points – the largest lead of the game so far. Caddo made a layup after stopping the ball, and the Wolverines went on a 6-0 run, leading by 6 points. Wisconsin, meanwhile, kept knocking down 3-pointers in hopes of recapturing its early first-half magic, but failed to do so. The Badgers hit a jumper to tie the game to four.
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Lundborg’s spin move allowed Lundborg to dance along the baseline with little opposition, extending Michigan’s lead back to six. A steal from Gayle was quickly recovered and Wisconsin tried to convert it into another 3-try attempt, however, the sixth try was a 6th turnover deep in the half. Caddo grabbed the rebound and hurried to the basket, but was fouled on the way, resulting in four Badgers fouls and the under-16 media timeout. Caddo extended Michigan’s lead to eight points after the timeout, and the Maize and Blue scored on each of their last four field goals.
Each team turned the other over in quick succession, but Wisconsin was unable to capitalize. McKennie’s three-pointer extended the Wolverines’ lead to 11 points, but Boyd scored two points and Blackwell did the same with a one-and-one and soon, 11 points turned into six. Mara’s three-pointer tied the score to 9 points, and the Maize and Blue team’s shooting percentage increased from 27% in the first half to 64% at this stage in the second half. Lundberg’s layup got Michigan within 11 points, but Braeden Carrington drained a 3-pointer to keep the Badgers within striking distance. McKennie continued his great game as he hit his second three-pointer of the game, pushing his total to 10 points.
After the timeout, Lundborg dunked hard and Michigan led by 13 points. Going into the under-12 media timeout with 10:12 left, Wisconsin shot just 23.5 percent in the second half while the Wolverines shot 62.5 percent.
After Mara’s layup, Austin Rupp and Carrington each hit three-pointers, and Michigan’s 15-point lead returned to single digits. The Badgers went on an 8-0 run, but Caddo hit a jumper, but Rupp hit his second and third 3-pointers to give Michigan a three-point lead with just over six minutes left. The Wolverines were more solid inside in the second half, but they began to embrace turnovers on the outside. Rupp hit his fourth 3-pointer and the game was tied with 5:31 left. Wisconsin went on a 17-2 run in four minutes.
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Mara’s dunk put Michigan State back in front, but Rupp’s hot touch continued with his fifth straight 3-pointer to put Wisconsin back in front for the first time in the second half. Mara walked out, Rupp hit his sixth and now the Wolverines trailed by four. The Under-4 media timeout followed Mara’s mid-range jumper, giving Wisconsin a two-point lead with 2:58 left.
After Villaaskas missed a three-pointer, Michigan got a chance, but Caddo was overturned by Rupp. He came on the court and Mara responded with a layup, tying the score at 62. Boyd missed a three-pointer and McKennie blocked the ball, but Caddo missed his first three-pointer and finally made another one with 45 seconds left. After going scoreless in the first three minutes, Wisconsin called a timeout.
Moments later, Boyd responded and Michigan’s three-point lead was gone, but with 29 seconds left, the Wolverines could have ended the game with any score as long as they kept the ball for one final shot. That was exactly what happened, as Lundborg hit a three-pointer before the final buzzer to end the game, and Michigan won 68-65.
The Maize and Blue successfully avenged their January loss to the Badgers and will now face either Purdue or UCLA in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game.
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Mara scored a team-high 16 points and 8 rebounds, Caddo scored 15 points and 3 three-pointers, Lundenburg had 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, and McKennie scored 10 points.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan basketball beats Wisconsin in Big Ten tournament
