INDIANAPOLIS – Michigan basketball blew a 17-point lead to Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday and failed to take advantage of an opportunity to solidify its position in the NCAA Tournament.
The Wolverines got off to a fast start Juwan Howard returns from five-game suspensiontaking an early lead and maintaining it quite easily for the first three quarters of the contest.
But the tide turned with about 13 minutes to go. Hunter Dickinson missed a layup that would have given Michigan a 19-point lead, and Xavier Johnson responded by drilling a transition three-pointer to cut the deficit to 14.
What happened over the next 12 minutes was a complete disaster for the Wolverines. They gave up a 28-4 run to the Hoosiers and trailed by seven points. A late 5-0 run provided one last gasp of life, but an unforced turnover with 10 seconds left dashed Michigan’s last hope.
Now, with a 17-14 record, the team will have to sweat for its NCAA tournament status. Although Michigan has a handful of impressive wins, the number of losses is glaring. Even if they make the dance, the Wolverines will likely have to fight their way to the round of 16 as part of the First Four.
Michigan finished the season alternating wins and losses in each of its final 10 games.
Copyright 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
