Michigan Basketball Instant Recap: Controversial Finish Leads To OSU Win

ANN ARBOR — Michigan had several good looks early against Ohio State, but the Wolverines started slowly. They made only two of their first 12 shots and wouldn't get much better, struggling offensively all game in a 61-58 home loss.

The Wolverines have now dropped three straight at home.

Sophomore forward Brandon Johns picked up where he left off in recent weeks, nailing a triple from the corner to open the scoring. The Wolverines couldn’t score, however, and fell behind 9-5 when Kaleb Wesson nailed two turnaround jump shots.

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Senior point guard Zavier Simpson finally ended a Michigan scoring drought with a drive and finish at 12:45, but it would continue to get worse before it got better. U-M turned it over twice and got an airball from the corner from freshman Franz Wagner on its next possessions, falling behind 13-7.

Wagner started 0-for-4, 0-for-3 from long range and missed a layup in the first 10 minutes, though he did corral seven rebounds.

Wesson’s triple made it 16-7 at 8:55 before redshirt junior Austin Davis finally finished, and-one to cut the deficit to six at 8:34. Johns’ top-in at 750 cut it to four and got the crowd back into it.

Johns’ second triple from the same corner made it 21-19 Buckeyes at 5:40 after Kaleb Wesson’s third triple, giving him 15 points 14 minutes in. Once again, an opponent was on pace for a career night.

But U-M was still right in it despite shooting 28 percent from the floor, 16 percent from then floor in the first 16:30, and Wagner finally put U-M over the top with a triple to give the Wolverines a 22-21 lead.

OSU responded with a 5-0 run and took a 28-24 lead before junior Eli Brooks tripled to send Michigan into the half down a point.

The Wolverines shot 31 percent from the floor, 25 percent (4-for-16) from long range. Johns led Michigan with eight points, Davis and Wagner five each. Teske was held scoreless in 18 minutes and Simpson only managed two points and two assists.

SECOND HALF GETS PHYSICAL

Michigan turned the ball over twice to start the second half, adding to its six, first half miscues. Wagner missed another layup at the rim, but OSU couldn’t capitalize, missing its first four shots of the second half before Wagner finally tripled from the corner to put Michigan up two.

OSU went on another 5-0 run before DeJulius rattled home a triple to tie it at 33. Both teams were shooting 2-for-9 from the floor in the half at that point.

The game got physical, but the officials let the teams play. Neither team could score in long stretches, and it was only 41-40 Wolverines when Simpson tripled from the corner at 8:36.

The two teams were tied at eight minutes before OSU threatened to pull away with four straight points, Johns picking up his fourth foul during the run. Simpson answered with a long triple and a bucket in transition to give the Wolverines a one-point lead at 6:25, and the Wolverines took their biggest lead — 49-46 — on a Davis tip-in.

OSU scrambled back again to score the next five once more, but Davis responded with yet another offensive put-back to tie it at 51. Davis, the man of the hour, put Michigan up 53-51 with a post and finish before Kaleb Wesson answered with a finish, and-one over him to put OSU back up one.

The Wolverines had chances to score, but Simpson missed a finish at the rim and Brooks a triple from the corner. Wesson’s missed free throw kept the door open, and Brooks tripled form the corner. They left Washington alone at the top on the next possession, however, and he answered with his own triple to make it 57-56 with 54.1 seconds remaining.

Then it got … weird. Simpson was fouled, but grabbed OSU forward Kyle Young’s jersey as he was falling down, ripping it. Simpson was somehow called for a flagrant one. He made both free throws, but Young also made two and the Buckeyes got the ball back. U-M fouled CJ walker, who hit two more to make it 61-58 Buckeyes.

Brooks missed an open triple that would have tied it with one second remaining, and the Buckeyes pulled out the win. Michigan lost its third straight at home.

Simpson led Michigan with 15 points and Davis added 11 for U-M.

• Chris Balas, The Wolverine: News & Views: Howard On Franz Wagner, More

• Austin Fox, Chris Balas And Clayton Sayfie, The Wolverine: Video: Juwan Howard Discusses Simpson's Flagrant, More

• Austin Fox, The Wolverine: Discussing Terry Wymer And The Flagrant

• Clayton Sayfie, The Wolverine: Fab Five: Takeaways Following A Close Michigan Loss To OSU

• John Borton, The Wolverine: Wolverine Watch: A State Of Dire Straits

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