Michigan – Ohio State part II started out as a tough defensive battle with both teams struggling to get open looks. OSU led by as many as four in the first half, but U-M made a run and pulled away for a 74-62 win.
C.J. Jackson’s triple put the Buckeyes up 11-8, but redshirt sophomore Charles Matthews answered with a drive and finish. He missed the and-one free throw, and the stripe was once again a struggle for the Wolverines in the first half. They’d make only 5-of-10, though the Buckeyes made only four of eight.
Freshman Jordan Poole’s triple made it 14-14 at 10:25. U-M then took its first lead on a nice pass from grad transfer Jaaron Simmons to junior Moe Wagner for the dunk.
Senior Muhammad Ali-Abdur-Rahkman’s triple at 7:20 made it 20-18 Wolverines. U-M took a six-point lead on Poole’s four-point play and U-M was playing with the lead for the rest of the half.
Ohio State cut it to three on two Keita Bates-Diop free throws, but Poole got a friendly bounce on a triple and set up sophomore Jon Teske for a short jump shot. Bates-Diop’s triple just before the half cut an eight-point Michigan lead to five.
Poole led the Wolverines with 12 points, while Wagner and Abdur-Rahkman added six each. Michigan had five assists to four turnovers and OSU was 3-to-9.
SECOND HALF
Wagner scored the first three points of the second half on a free throws and a layup, and U-M reclaimed its eight-point lead. They had a chance to create some distance, but Livers missed a three, didn’t get back on defense and it led to a three-point play the other way.
OSU cut it to two, but Abdur-Rahkman answered with a pair of free throws to push the lead back to four. OSU Big man Kaleb Wesson, a load throughout the game, scored inside, and the teams continued to trade buckets.
Michigan went back up by six on a drive and finish by Abdur-Rahkman and a post flush by Teske.
Andrew Wesson’s triple form the top cut the lead back in half and kept it tight, but Simpson answered with a triple from the corner Matthews scored inside and Simmons in transition to give Michigan its biggest lead, 53-44, at 10:40.
The Buckeyes got a run, and a break. An out-of-bounds call to Michigan was overturned, and Bates-Diop tripled to cut it to 55-51. OSU was within three after a Jae'Sean Tate free throw headed to the under 8:00 timeout.
Simpson scored in transition and Poole tripled from the corner to make it 60-52 with 6:20 to go, and the Wolverines appeared to be in good shape. Livers, though, missed the front end of a one-and-one at 5:00 with Michigan up nine, and OSU still had life after Simpson’s reverse lay-up went in and out.
Jackson missed the front end of a one-and-one at 3:34 and Abdur-Rahkman tripled from the top to give the Wolverines their biggest lead, 65-53. Wagner's finish in transition, and-one, made it 68-55 at 2:12.
The Wolverines closed it out from the line to improve to 22-8 overall, 11-5 in Big Ten play and all but secure an NCAA Tournament berth with a week left in regular season Big Ten play.
Abdur-Rahkman finished with 17, Poole 15, Simpson 13 and Wagner 12 for Michigan, which shot 48.1 percent from the floor, plus 12-of-14 from the free throw line in the second half.
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