Michigan Comes From Behind To Defeat Northwestern

The Wolverines were trailing for much of the game, but somehow, they found a way to earn a win.

Struggling to find its footing early, the No. 2 Michigan men's basketball team (23-1 overall, 13-1 Big Ten) rode a strong final 12 minutes to an 87-75 victory over Northwestern (10-15, 2-12) on the road.

The first half was the sloppiest stretch of basketball the Wolverines have played since the opening games of the year. On both ends of the floor, they were out of sync, low energy, and lacked focus.

Northwestern opened the game hot, making six of its first seven shots from the floor and setting the tone. Michigan, on the other hand, couldn't get much of anything going at all. The usually-free flowing offense was stagnant and panicked — the Wildcats were being physical despite their size disadvantage, and the Wolverines were visibly uncomfortable.

Whether it was playing off of the back foot or forcing a tough shot, Michigan was playing nervous.

As the midway point of the half came and went, the Wolverines still hadn't settled in, and with just under nine minutes to play in the period, Northwestern led 31-19. This was uncharted territory Michigan, as this was its largest deficit it had faced all season.

The Wolverines probably could've been down by more, too, but their size and athleticism kept the game within reach. Due to their 11 offensive rebounds that led to 13 second-chance points, they shot 40 times in the first half compared to the Wildcats' 31 attempts,

The biggest discrepancy came in the efficiency department. With Michigan shooting 35% from the floor to Northwestern's 51.6%, even the nine shot discrepancy couldn't make up for the Wolverines' poor shoot making.

Regardless of its poor performance, Michigan only entered the break down 44-35, and it had a fresh 20 minutes to flip the score on its head.

But the halftime break didn't clear the slate. The Wolverines came out of the gates in the second just as flat as they did in the first. They opened up play with three turnovers in four minutes, and shot 2-for-9 from the field in that span. Instead of closing the gap, Michigan's deficit opened up to 54-41.

The Wolverines settled in a little bit, but they needed to do more than simply settle in, they needed to erase a 15-point deficit in the second half. Trading buckets kept the deficit surmountable, but made no headway in actually surmounting it.

Out of the under-12 minute timeout, however, the Wolverines finally made their move. Northwestern was whistled for a hook-and-hold flagrant foul, and while junior center Aday Mara missed both free throws, it sparked a big 11-2 run that pulled Michigan back within two points at 60-58.

The Wolverines looked much more like themselves, using their defense to run in transition and get easy looks at the rim. Sophomore guard L.J. Cason was at the center of it all, as his 11 points in a four-minute span propelled Michigan right back into the game. With just under eight minutes to play, the deficit was 67-65.

Then the Wolverines broke through for good. Freshman guard Trey McKenney gave Michigan its first lead since it was 10-8 in the first half, knocking in a right-wing triple to make the score 68-67.

That was the single shot that put the Wolverines in front, but from the midway point of the second half, Michigan was absolutely dominant. It was as if the first 30 minutes hadn't happened and the Wolverines of week's past came back out to play.

Michigan ended the game on a 45-17 run, leaving Northwestern stunned. The 87-75 final score doesn't tell the full story, but the Wolverines will take the road win any way they can get it.