The Michigan Wolverines (11-8, 2-6 Big Ten) fell to Illinois (15-5, 7-2 Big Ten) Saturday afternoon, 64-62 after a two-pointer with less than a second to go put the Illini ahead for good.

Here's five takeaways from the game.

RELATED: Videos: Juwan Howard, David DeJulius And Franz Wagner Talk After Illinois

RELATED: Wolverines Lose Livers Again, Fade Late Against Illinois

U-M shot 23-for-59 from the field (39 percent) and 4-for-17 on three-pointers (24 percent) on the afternoon. That’s the second straight game, both at home, that the Wolverines have shot under 40 percent from the field. 10 offensive boards and only turning the ball over two times will help, but looking at the shooting numbers, it’s amazing U-M was in position to win down the stretch.

At halftime, U-M hadn’t recorded an assist. That’s an especially astounding stat considering the fact that Zavier Simpson is one of the best passers in the country, and averages the most assists per game in college basketball. U-M registered just five helpers in the entire game. You could say this after just about any game, but Simpson would’ve had more than he did (three) if he could get some help from the guys he’s dishing it to.

Make no mistake, there were good looks out there. But as we’ve said too many times after games this season, the NBA adage of “it’s a make or miss league,” applies. U-M didn’t hit enough. Illinois hit 44 percent of its shots, including the timely ones to win the game.

The Wolverines didn’t shoot it well, but hit just enough shots and got enough stops to put themselves in position to be in position. In fact, the game was in the “should win” category late.

Free throws were the story. U-M missed five in the game’s final 3:24 — Simpson missed a pair, Austin Davis missed the front end of a one-and-one (with 1:47 left) and the typically reliable free throw shooter stripe shooter Franz Wagner missed two (1:17 to go).

There was also the missed bunny late — Jon Teske had a great look down low with 29 seconds left, but couldn’t rattle one in.

Those were the difference. Everything up to that point put U-M right there, ready to win a game for the first time since Jan. 9. The time came for the Wolverines to finish the deal, and they folded.

There’s disappointment following every loss, but this one was different than the last three. U-M had failed to close out games at Minnesota and at Iowa, but they were never this close. There was a new feeling of disappointment from the crowd, and from the players after the game. A tough one to swallow.

The Illini sophomore guard is a pro. It’s not official yet, but it will be after the season. He came back after his freshman year to refine his game, and most likely to win some games, like the Illini did today.

U-M struggled to guard him all afternoon. He attacked U-M’s drop coverage on ball screens and every switch that he got, driving to the hole past just about everybody, and pulling up to hit jumpers when he had the space. He was spectacular, and just about single handedly got Illinois the road win. He finished with 27 points on 11-for-18 shooting and 2-for-3 from deep.

The biggest shot he made, of course, was the long two over Simpson to take the lead with under a second to go. It was isolation, and Simpson contested it nicely, but Dosunmu was bigger and flat-out better today. He was too much to handle from the opening tip to the final buzzer.

Livers wasn’t 100 percent healthy, but he gutted it out, before reaggravating the groin injury that held him out the six previous games. With him in, the offense looked much more comfortable. There was more space for other guys to use (opponents can’t help off of Livers the way they can Johns and others). He added seven points and five rebounds, including a big second half three-pointer. On defense, he was much more solid guarding opposing fours than U-M had been in recent games. He's one of the top communicators on the team on that end, something U-M has struggled in as of late.

It looked like the U-M team that would pull out a close one at Crisler with Livers out there. He went down, though, with 15:34 to go as he went up for a dunk. It was oddly reminiscent of how he reacted after getting fouled on a dunk attempt against Presbyterian on Dec. 21. U-M had a two-point lead after he hit two free throws, and hung in there until the end, but finished with the same result it had four of the six games where Livers didn’t play.

We’re not sure of his status, other than Howard saying he’s back to “day to day,” but if U-M wants to get to at least .500 in conference play by season’s end, Livers will likely have to play some sort of a role. The Wolverines are much better with him on the court.

This one went much differently than the game in early December down in Champaign. U-M got beat up down low in the first meeting, allowing Illinois to score 44 of its 71 points in the paint. Kofi Cockburn scored 19 points and had 10 rebounds that game. Giorgi Behanishvili had 12 and eight.

Today, the two combined for just nine points and eight rebounds. U-M did a much better job playing defense in the post, and attacking the glass. U-M had 32 points in the paint to Illinois’ 30, and the Wolverines out-rebounded Illinois, who leads the Big Ten in rebounding margin per game, by three.

Overall, there were some good adjustments by Howard and U-M coming into the game. The Wolverines were not beat by Illinois the same way twice. This time, it was the guards — Dosunmu, Andres Feliz and Trent Frazier that won the Illini the game.

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