Layoff? What layoff? The Michigan Wolverines’ basketball team showed incredible grit and resilience this afternoon at the Kohl Center, picking up a come-from-behind 67-59 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers.
The gutsy effort came despite the fact U-M hadn’t played a game since Jan. 22, when it crushed Purdue at Mackey Arena 70-53. Today’s contest at Wisconsin wasn’t a blowout (as most of Michigan’s wins have been this season), with the Maize and Blue clawing their way back from 14 down to come away with the victory.
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The Badgers held a 39-27 lead at the break, and things weren’t looking good for the Wolverines following what had been a sluggish first half.
“Our leader and boss, Coach [Juwan] Howard, clapped and smiled at us in the locker room and said this is where we want to be,” senior forward Isaiah Livers revealed when asked what Howard’s message was to the team at the break.
“He told us to act like we’d been here before. No one was pointing fingers or was upset. We knew we were in a great spot and weren’t going to make any excuses. We stayed true to the system and it blessed us, and we came out with a big road win.”
“Big road win” is an understatement. The triumph improved Michigan’s record to 14-1 overall and 9-1 in league play, with every other team in the Big Ten — with the exception of Illinois — having at least four conference losses.
Illinois currently possess three. The race for the Big Ten title is still obviously raging on, but needless to say, the Wolverines are in outstanding shape as we approach the home stretch.
“I’m blessed to be on a team like this,” Livers exclaimed. “Coach Howard talked about how what we did today is special — to have a pause and then play at Wisconsin and be locked in and together.
“We’re the most connected team. We rallied together and trusted the process, Coach Howard and each other. We had each other’s backs and it was back to normal — we were playing good basketball again.
“We didn’t make any excuses.”
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of today’s win was the way U-M made the clutch plays it needed to make down the stretch. Its defense ramped up in a big way, holding Wisconsin to a 1-of-10 drought from the field over the Badgers’ final 10 shots.
Livers and Dickinson also made multiple winning plays down the stretch, with perhaps none bigger than the triple the former hit with just 2:37 remaining that put U-M on top 59-57, coming off an offensive rebound from the latter.
“I tried to get in the best position possible and was fortunate enough to get the rebound,” Dickinson recalled. “My first reaction was to find someone on the perimeter because that’s the best time for a three.
“Isaiah was right there and of course I had to get it to him.”
The board was one of 15 for Dickinson, who finished the day with 11 points and five blocks. The 7-1 center has displayed maturity beyond his years all season long, and did so once again today while making key play after key play in a tight battle while leading his team to victory.
“This was a great experience for us,” Dickinson explained. “We hadn’t played many close games. This will be beneficial for us later in the year when the games aren’t as separated in points.
“Our senior and veteran leadership helped us — we have older players who have played a lot and been there before. It’s about their steady hand, and Coach Howard is also great in these moments.
“Nothing can shake him in times like those. He’s always calm.”
“I don’t know if I’ve seen Hunter go out of his area and rebound like he did today,” Livers admitted. “He was grabbing rebounds under the rim while being pushed out. Hunter has the IQ to find shooters in the perimeter — he found me on my three-pointer.
“I’m so blessed to be on a team like this.”
Notes
• There was expected to be plenty of rust for the Wolverines after having been off for nearly a month, and though the club displayed some sluggishness in the first half, the long layoff didn’t impact the team as much as some people thought it would.
“Everyone talked about how rusty and tired we’d be, and that’s why I was doing jump ropes and getting outside [during the shutdown],” Livers revealed. “We had a program and stayed true to it.
“We’re getting back into our rhythm. I’m proud of our guys for rising to the adversity.”
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