Michigan Escapes Ohio State, Advances In Big Ten Tournament

It's incredibly hard to beat any team three times in one season, and the Buckeyes certainly didn't make it easy for the Wolverines.

The No. 1 seed Michigan men's basketball team (30-2 overall, 19-1 Big Ten) were encapsulated in a full 40-minute battle with No. 8 seed Ohio State (22-12, 12-8), but it escaped the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals with a slim 71-67 win, marking its third victory over the Buckeyes this season.

For a good portion of the first half, the Wolverines were in a great position to open up a comfortable lead. Especially with the Buckeyes playing their second game in as many days, all it takes is one big run to demoralize their already-tired legs.

Michigan opened the game with an immediate 15-5 run, presenting an opportunity to simply run away with the game early. But in a match between two bitter rivals, it was never going to be that simple.

After their slow start, the Buckeyes got their legs underneath them enough to match the Wolverines pace and hold their deficit at a reasonable size, chasing a five- to 10-point margin for the vast majority of the period.

Knowing that Ohio State played a stressful and physical game less than 24 hours prior, the Wolverines made a point to really get out in transition. They scored 18 of their 39 points on the fast break, forcing the Buckeyes to keep up.

And they did keep up.

Despite falling down by double digits twice, Ohio State used the free-throw line and attrition to claw back into the game. What was once an 11-point Michigan lead with 6:25 remaining in the period became just a four-point, 39-35, advantage at halftime.

Transferring the momentum they had built to end the first half, the Buckeyes began the second half looking like the better team. They made their first four shots of the second half to tie the game at 44 apiece, and they simply had more energy than Michigan.

A game of tug-of-war ensued: Michigan made a run to extend its lead back to seven points, but a quick 8-2 Buckeyes run brought the game right back within one possession. Neither team was playing particularly well, and both squads were waiting for the other one to crack, but neither was giving any headway. So, with 7:43 remaining, the Wolverines' lead remained slim at 59-54.

But with time running out and no team gaining ground, the odds of a frictionless ending began to wane. Off of a missed 3-pointer by senior guard Roddy Gayle Jr. the Buckeyes stormed down the court, and guard Devin Royal canned a trailing 3-pointer of his own to give Ohio State its first lead of the entire game, 61-60, with 5:40 to play.

Just as they had been the entire second half, the Wolverines and Buckeyes commenced trading buckets once again, and by the time the clock ticked under two minutes, Michigan held a 67-64 lead.

Ohio State just didn't have another run up its sleeve. Graduate forward Yaxel Lendeborg split a pair of free throws to make it a two-possession game, and the Buckeyes missed a crucial layup on the other end.

The Wolverines survived the free-throw battle, doing just enough to thwart the Buckeyes' late-minute comeback attempt.

It wasn't pretty, but in a tournament environment, 'pretty' doesn't matter. With the win, Michigan advanced to Saturday's semifinals.