Michigan
4-5,0-1Big Ten
Indiana
7-1,2-0Big Ten
Michigan Drops Big Ten Opener to Indiana in Back-and-Forth Battle
12/5/2023 11:59:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- In a tight game that saw a total of 12 lead changes and 18 ties, Michigan fell 78-75 to Indiana on Tuesday night (Dec. 5) in its Big Ten opener at Crisler Center.
Leaders and Best
The Wolverines (4-5, 0-1 Big Ten) were led by Olivier Nkamhoua's 18 points, coming on 8-for-16 shooting while grabbing five rebounds. Will Tschetter scored 17 points. Dug McDaniel added 13 points and three assists.
The Turning Point
A Nkamhoua jumper tied the game at 73 with 1:23 remaining in regulation, but Indiana grabbed the lead with 53 seconds left and the Hoosiers held off the Wolverines the rest of the way.
Second Half
Indiana (7-1, 2-0 Big Ten) scored two early buckets to open the half, giving it a 41-39 advantage. Michigan responded with an 8-2 run, with all eight points scored by Nkamhoua to pull out to a 47-43 lead five minutes into the second half.
Michigan took a five-point lead off a jump shot by McDaniel midway through the second half. A three-pointer from Tschetter put the Wolverines up 59-53 with nine minutes remaining, but a quick 7-0 IU run put the Hoosiers up 60-59 two minutes later.
With the game tied at 64 with 5:30 remaining in regulation, the teams traded the lead six times -- the final time, at 73 apiece, came with 1:23 on the clock. The Hoosiers held off Wolverines with a trio of free throws for the 78-75 victory.
First Half
The game was a back-and-forth affair early, with four ties and three lead changes over the first four minutes of the contest. Tied at 9, Indiana put together a 6-0 run to take a 15-9 lead. The IU spurt coincided with a five-plus minute U-M scoring drought ended by a three-point play from Tschetter at the 11:48 mark, but Michigan trailed only 15-12.
Michigan fell behind by seven points at the eight-minute mark, but a 6-0 Wolverine run trimmed the IU lead to 28-27 with 5:39 remaining in the half.
Both teams traded baskets to keep the game close. A step-back jumper from Nkamhoua gave Michigan a 35-33 lead with 3:16 remaining. After making four of its last five field goals, U-M held a 39-27 advantage after 20 minutes.
What's Next
The Wolverines will travel to Iowa City to face Iowa on Sunday (Dec. 10) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tipoff is set for 3:30p.m. CST, and the game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
Notes
• McDaniel extended his double-digit scoring streak to nine games with his 13 points.
• Nkamhoua has scored in double digits in eight U-M's nine games.
• Terrance Williams II has made at least one three-pointer in every game but one (vs. Memphis, Nov. 22).
• Jaelin Llewellyn made his first three-pointer of the season.
• The game featured 18 ties, with the teams knotted up for a total of 9:53.
