ANN ARBOR, MI — Michigan got off to a slow start offensively Thursday ... but so did Purdue. The two teams finally picked it up in the second half, but it took two overtimes to settle the Big Ten contest, an 84-78 U-M win.
The two teams combined for 5-for-15 shooting in the first four minutes 1-for-5 from three-point range, with the Boilermakers making one more field goal to take an early 6-5 lead. U-M senior center Jon Teske scored six of U-M’s first eight points, tying it at 8-8 with a three-point play.
The Wolverines were careless with the ball early, turning it over four times in the first six minutes. Freshman Franz Wagner struggled from the floor, too, missing his first three shots before finally hitting from the corner to give the Wolverines their first lead at 13-10.
Head coach Juwan Howard continued to mix up the lineups. Wagner scored seven points before going to the bench — U-M then came out with a five of senior Zavier Simpson, sophomores Adrien Nunez and David DeJulius and big men Colin Castleton and Austin Davis. Purdue missed a few shots at the rim when the defense broke down — on the other end, Davis and Castelton both scored inside to put the Wolverines up 21-18, where it stood at the 7:04 mark.
Both teams continued to have trouble scoring, resembling a Wednesday Big Ten Tournament game at times. Purdue outscored U-M 3-2 over the next three minutes and finally took the lead back, 24-23, on a second chance three-pointer by Sasha Stefanovic. Most of the Boilermakers’ offense came inside with Trevion Williams. He notched 16 points and six rebounds in the first half
The two teams continued to play sloppy basketball and trade buckets. They had 19 turnovers between them at the 1:34 mark of the half, 11 by Purdue, but the Wolverines ended the half with a 5-0 run to end the half. Johns made his first bucket in six attempts with a triple from the top right corner and Simpson drove and scored with three seconds remaining.
Teske led the way for Michigan with eight points, while Wagner added seven for the Wolverines. David notched four, Simpson four and six assists.
SECOND HALF
Michigan remained ice cold offensively, missing its first six triples, most of them wide open looks. Purdue made three of its eight shots to U-M’s 1-for-7 and continued to work the offensive glass. Teske had only one rebound while Williams grabbed five on the offensive glass to give the Boilermakers a number of second chance opportunities.
Purdue ripped off seven straight points to grab a 39-34 lead before U-M finally responded with a Johns runner inside. Isaiah Thompson nailed his second straight open look from three to give the Boilers their biggest lead at 42-36, but Johns responded with a long triple at the shot clock buzzer.
The Boilers continued to play well, and U-M continued to miss wide open looks. The Wolverines were 1-for-9 from long range, most looks uncontested, before Wagner finally hit from the top of the key to cut a five-point deficit to 49-47. Simpson’s running back hook tied it at 49.
The Wolverines fell behind by four points before Teske went back to work. He scored on a putback of a DeJulius missed before stepping out and hitting a long two, forcing a Purdue timeout at 4:28.
Two Teske free throws at 4:00 gave U-M its first lead since 34-32.
The two teams continued to trade points. DeJulius gave U-M a one-point lead, but he missed a free throws and Teske the front end of a one-and-one to keep Michigan's lead at only one with a minute and half remaining. Williams hit a prayer triple at the shot clock buzzer to give Purdue the lead back with 1:10 left before Simpson tied it with a drive and finish.
U-M left Williams one-on-one again, and Teske's goaltend make it 62-60, Boilermakers. Simpson responded with another drive and finish with 19 seconds remaining, setting up one last shot for Purdue. The Boilers took a lot of time off the clock before finding Williams underneath ... his rushed shot hit the bottom of the rim after Wagner got a piece, and the game was headed to overtime.
OVERTIME
Simpson started overtime with a strong drive and finish, though he missed the and-one free throw. He then made one of two after being fouled on the next possession to make it a 65-62 game.
Teske made one of two free throws to push the lead to four, but Purdue came back again. Williams hit two free throws and scored again down low after Wagner's missed lay-up; it was 66-all when Williams scored inside yet again, and then again to give Purdue a 68-66 lead.
Simpson drove and finished to tie it once again at 68. The Boilermakers missed a desperation shot at the other end at the shot clock buzzer, and Simpson's 40-footer at the buzzer barely missed to set up a second overtime.
DOUBLE OVERTIME
Michigan won the tap and went to work inside immediately. Teske scored and made the and-one free throw; Simpson hit a triple following a Purdue miss to push the lead to six, and the Wolverines appeared to be in good shape when they go the ball back with 2:52 remaining on a Purdue turnover.
It looked even better when Wagner tripled from the corner to put U-M up nine with 2:30 remaining.
Purdue didn't quit. The Boilermakers scored the next four points to cut it to five before DeJulius answered with a tough jumper off the dribble. Still, it was 79-75 with 48 seconds remaining after Brooks missed two free throws and Hunter scored inside.
U-M continued to struggle from the line. DeJulius made only one of two with 43.3 second remaining, but followed up a Purdue miss with two from the line to push the lead to 82-75 with 26 seconds remaining. Stefanovich's three was too little, too late, and Simpson's free throws with 10 seconds remaining iced it.
Simpson notched 22 points, Teske 18 and Wagner 15 in the win.
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel
• Listen and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Sign up for our newsletter, The Wolverine Now
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @Balas_Wolverine, @EJHolland_TW, @AustinFox42, @JB_ Wolverine, Clayton Sayfie and @DrewCHallett
• Like us on Facebook
