Michigan Succumbs to Badgers' Buzzer-Beater Three

Wednesday, February 23

Ann Arbor, Mich.

6:30 PM

Michigan

17-12, 7-9

Wisconsin

21-6, 11-4

Wisconsin

Michigan

2/23/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Feb. 23, 2011

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Arena)
Score: #12 Wisconsin 53, Michigan 52
Records: U-M (17-12, 7-9 Big Ten), Wisconsin (21-6, 11-4 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 26 -- at Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), 3:30 p.m. CST (TV: Big Ten Network)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team held a two-point lead with five seconds left in the game, but a banked three-pointer at the buzzer by No. 12 Wisconsin guard Josh Gasser gave the Badgers a 53-52 victory on Wednesday (Feb. 23) inside Crisler Arena. Freshman guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (Miami, Fla./Palmetto Senior) led all Michigan scorers with 16 points.

Michigan shot 67 percent (12-of-18) from the floor in the first half, its best output of the season. Sixteen of its 31 points came in the lane. Wisconsin, on the other hand, shot 41 percent (11-of-27) from the field but stayed with U-M throughout the half with five three-pointers.

Michigan made four of its first five shots to open the game. The Wolverines' first basket came when redshirt freshman forward Jordan Morgan (Detroit, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit) handed the ball off to Hardaway at the top of the key but then got it right back when Hardaway found him cutting backdoor for a dunk. Back-to-back layups by Hardaway and Morgan followed.

Then, at the 13:45 mark, Morgan was fouled on his second dunk attempt and sunk both his free throws. On Michigan's next possession, Hardaway knocked down a three-point field goal to tie it at 11-11, with nine of the Badgers' 11 points coming from behind the arc.

After exchanging baskets for the next six minutes, Hardaway grabbed a defensive rebound and passed the ball ahead to sophomore guard Darius Morris (Los Angeles, Calif./Windward), who scored his first basket of the game on a fastbreak floater at the 5:38 mark. Morris went on to score the next two baskets for U-M, off back-to-back jumpers. On their next possession, Morris spun and faked his defender under the basket, but instead of finishing himself, passed it out to Hardaway for a three-pointer, and the Wolverines held a 27-22 lead at the 3:29 mark.

Two three-point field goals by the Badgers led them back to a 30-29 lead with a minute left in the half. After a team timeout by Michigan, Hardaway found freshman forward Evan Smotrycz Reading, Mass./New Hampton Prep [N.H.]) for backdoor layup and the final basket of the half.

The first four minutes of the second half were slow, until junior guard Zack Novak (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) found Morgan, who finished with another dunk. However, over the next two minutes Wisconsin knocked down a three-pointer followed by a layup to take the lead, 37-36.

The teams once again exchanged baskets for the next three minutes, with U-M holding a 45-42 lead after a three-pointer by Hardaway. Three consecutive jumpers by the Badgers put them back on top, 48-45, and forced Michigan to call a timeout with 5:38 to play. Out of the timeout, a floater by Morris and a triple by Hardaway helped U-M regain the lead, 50-48, at the 3:49 mark.

With a minute left to play, the Crisler Arena crowd was on its feet as U-M got a defensive stop to hold on to its 52-50 lead. Then, with 30 seconds left, Morris was fouled and sent to the line for one-and-one but missed his first attempt. The Wolverines then committed four fouls on the other end, running the game clock down to five seconds in the process. After a Wisconsin team timeout, Gasser banked in the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.

The Wolverines return to the hardwood this Saturday (Feb. 26) when they travel to Minneapolis, Minn., looking for a critical road win against Minnesota inside Williams Arena. Tipoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. CST, and the game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423