Michigan
17-14,11-9Big Ten
Indiana
19-12,9-11Big Ten
Wolverines Fall to Hoosiers in Big Ten Tournament Second Round
3/10/2022 4:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» After a second half scoring drought, No. 8 seeded Michigan fell, 74-69, to No. 9 seed Indiana in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday (March 10).
» Indiana shot 55.6 percent in the second half and were 4-for-5 from long range as the Hoosiers rallied from a 17-point second half deficit to pull off the victory.
» In his 100th career start, Eli Brooks had 17 points, four steals, three assists and two rebounds.
» With 18 points and four rebounds, DeVante' Jones surpassed 1,600 career points and 600 rebounds for his collegiate career.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The No. 8 seeded University of Michigan men's basketball team dropped its Big Ten Tournament second round matchup, 74-69, to No. 9 seeded Indiana on Thursday (March 10) at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Wolverines will now wait to see if they are one of 68 teams selected for the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Selection Show will air on Sunday (March 13) on CBS starting at 6 p.m.
After sporting as high as a 17-point second half lead, Michigan's near 10 minute scoring drought midway through the second half allowed Indiana to go on a 31-9 scoring run over the final 13 minutes and take the victory. Indiana outscored Michigan, 46-28, in the second half and the Hoosier wiin snapped a nine-game losing streak to U-M.
Graduate student DeVante' Jones posted a team-high 18 points and added four rebounds, three assists and two steals. With that stat line, he surpassed 1,600 career points and 600 career rebounds in his collegiate career. Fellow graduate student Eli Brooks, who started his 100th career game on Thursday, added 17 points, four steals, three assists and two rebounds. Sophomore Hunter Dickinson had 15 points and five rebounds, while freshman Moussa Diabate recorded 12 rebounds -- his second 10-plus game of the season.
Playing in the tournament's opening contest of a four-game day, it took the Wolverines (17-14, 11-9 B1G) a couple of minutes to get into the rhythm of the game. With Gainbridge packed with IU fans, the Hoosiers took a 5-2 early advantage. U-M went to a zone and battled back, taking its first lead, 8-7, after Diabate secured his rebound and drove end-to-end for a highlight reel dunk. As nearly seven and a half minutes passed without a stoppage, a three-pointer by Hunter Dickinson gave the Maize and Blue a 15-10 lead, as IU (19-12, 9-11 B1G) called a timeout.
Out of the timeout, Michigan used a 10-4 run to extend its lead to 25-14 before the under-eight media timeout. Two Dickinson inside buckets, a Frankie Collins circus layup and two more lay-ins from Jones highlighted the Wolverines scoring. U-M continued to counter IU's offense and keep its 11-point advantage, 34-23, at the under-four timeout, thanks to a curling drive by Brandon Johns Jr. and a three-point dagger from Brooks.
As the final first half minutes ticked away, the Wolverines finished the half holding a 41-28 lead. Dickinson (13 points) and Jones (12 points) paced the Wolverines while Diabate's seven boards helped U-M out-rebound IU, 21-14, in the first 20 minutes.
The Hoosiers came out strong in the second half with a quick 6-2 run, before Caleb Houstan hit back-to-back triples -- not only snapping his 0-for-13 drought from the field, but giving the Maize and Blue a 49-35 lead. Free throws from Brooks and Jones followed, and U-M held a 55-40 lead into the first media break. Just as the Hoosier crowd was starting to get back in the game, a third three-pointer from Houstan stopped a small Indiana run as the U-M advantage drew to 60-43 with 12:52 left.
After a 7-0 Hoosier run, Juwan Howard was forced to call a timeout as the Wolverines' lead shrunk to 10, 60-50. Careless turnovers continued for the Maize and Blue as IU made it a 9-0 run before a pair of Brooks free throws snapped a scoring drought of over four minutes.
With a raucous crowd, U-M's field goal drought (0-for-9) continued as a dunk and free throws by Indiana's Jackson-Davis and a triple from Miller Kopp gave the lead back to the Hoosiers, 63-62, with 5:39 to play. After drawing a foul, Brooks again stepped to the free throw line and drained two, putting the Wolverines up, 64-63, with 4:37 left in the game.
Indiana continued to shrink its defense into the paint and scoring was still not coming easy for the Maize and Blue as the Wolverines were held without a field goal for nearly 9:36. Two more IU free throws and an inside bucket by Jackson-Davis pushed U-M down three, 67-64, with 3:16 left.
Going down low again, IU took advantage of U-M's continued drought to go up seven, 71-64, with 1:53 remaining. After Jones snapped U-M's field goal drought with a floater, Diabate's rebound kick out to a wide open Brooks led to a another dagger three, and the Wolverines trailed by just two, 71-69, with 44 seconds on the board..
Needing a stop on the other end, the Wolverines got it, however, Diabate's pass was too strong and U-M turned it over. With three free throws over the final nine seconds, the Hoosiers completed the comeback and claimed the 74-69 victory. Indiana will advance on in the Big Ten Tournament and face No. 1 seed Illinois.
The Wolverines will now wait to see if they are one of 68 teams selected for the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Selection Show will air on Sunday (March 13) on CBS starting at 6 p.m.
