Michigan Basketball Instant Recap: U-M Falls At Wisconsin, 68-64
Michigan shot only 32 percent in the first half of a 68-64 loss to Wisconsin, but trailed by only five points at the break due to … believe it or not … their defense. The Wolverines got six points from senior Zak Irvin out of the gate and nine total from him in the first half, but nobody else scored more than five.
Michigan held Wisconsin to 35.5 percent shooting at the break and 22.2 percent from long range, but still trailed 26-21. U-M shot only 8-of-25 from the field and was outrebounded 19-17, but they stayed in it by holding the Badgers to 11-of-29 shooting.
Wisconsin scored inside to grab a seven-point lead out of the break, it’s biggest of the game, and the Wolverines seemed to be in trouble. Irvin answered with a drive and a reverse lay-up … senior point guard Derrick Walton’s triple at 17:18 made it a two-point game, 28-26. The Wolverines continued to play hard defensively, dove for loose balls and played with passion.
Four straight points gave the Wolverines a 30-28 lead at 16:00. Senior Moritz Wagner scored inside to make it a four-point game at 14:54.
Michigan, though, picked up its sixth team foul on the next possession when Walton fouled inside, his third of the game that sent him to the bench. The Wolverines picked up their seventh a minute later, and Bronson Koenig made a free throws after a handful of ticky-tack foul calls to pull Wisconsin within one and end an 11-0 Michigan run.
Irvin put the Wolverines up five with a drive and finish on the next possession. He hit a jumper at 13:15 to make it a seven-point game, 36-29. Redshirt sophomore D.J. Wilson picked up his fourth foul at 12:49, though, when Nigel Hayes took him inside. Still, Irvin’s jumper gave the Wolverines their biggest lead, 38-30 at 12:25.
The Badgers, however, got a free throw, an offensive rebound and a triple to cut it to four. It was two before redshirt junior Duncan Robinson nailed a three at 9:50 to push it back to five.
Wisconsin tied it at 43 on a three-point play by Ethan Happ with 8:17 remaining.
Back to back triples by junior Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Robinson made it a 49-43 game. The Badgers called timeout and scored the next six to tie it, including four inside from Koenig. Koenig’s three gave the Badgers a six-point lead, and Wagner missed a pair of triples on the other end.
Koenig’s triple at 3:42 made it 55-49 at 3:42, and U-M was on the ropes. Wagner missed the front end of a one and one and Hayes got a bouncing triple to fall to made it a nine-point game at 2:12.
The Wolverines didn’t go away. Walton’s two free throws cut it to 65-61 at 18 seconds, and Irvin’s three made it a two-point game with four seconds remaining, but Wisconsin closed it out from the line.
Irvin scored 20 points to lead Michigan, now 2-4 in Big Ten play.
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