Michigan
10-22
Wisconsin (#1)
27-4
Solid Defensive Effort Not Enough Against No. 8 Badgers
3/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Site: Indianapolis, Ind. (Conseco Fieldhouse)
Score: No. 1 Wisconsin 51, No. 9 Michigan 34
Records: U-M (10-22, 6-14 Big Ten), Wisconsin (27-4)
Next U-M Event: Season completed
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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team dropped a 51-34 decision to No. 1-seed Wisconsin Friday afternoon (March 14) in the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament in Conseco Fieldhouse. The Wolverines held Wisconsin to under 35 percent shooting from the field, but the Badgers held Michigan to hit 20 percent of its attempts from the floor and established three substantial scoring runs to end the Wolverines' 2007-08 campaign.
Sophomore/freshman Anthony Wright(Sterling, Va./Oak Hill Academy) scored 11 of the Michigan's 14 second-half points off three long-range baskets to lead U-M. Junior/sophomore Zack Gibson(Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS) contributed nine points and four rebounds off the bench, and sophomore DeShawn Sims(Detroit, Mich./Pershing HS) added six points, eight rebounds and two steals.
Wisconsin presented a strong defensive front following the tip, forcing three turnovers en route to a 10-0 run to open the scoring. Freshman Manny Harris(Detroit, Mich./Redford HS) converted the Wolverines first field goal of the contest on a long-distance attempt, pushing the score to 10-3 to end a four-minute U-M drought. Gibson came off the bench to fuel a 6-0 stretch after the teams traded a pair of scores, scoring five points on a three-point bucket and an inside jumper to cut the deficit to one basket, 15-13. Gibson finished the half with a game-leading eight points.
The Badgers added 10 unanswered points to widen the gap, 25-13, holding Michigan scoreless for six of the final eight minutes of the period. Gibson drilled another shot from behind the arc at 1:26 to end the dry spell, and Sims knocked down two free throws while the Badgers tallied one of their own to close scoring for the stanza at 26-18. Sims ended the half with six points and three rebounds.
Sophomore Ekpe Udoh(Edmond, Okla./Santa Fe HS) sank his first basket of the competition and Wright drained an attempt from NBA range to net the first five points of the second half, bringing Michigan within one score, 26-23. The Badgers then regained the momentum with a 9-0 run to expand their advantage to 35-23. Following an additional Wright three-pointer at 14:14 the defenses took control, not permitting a field goal for nearly seven minutes of action. During the empty stretch, Wisconsin sank seven attempts from the charity stripe compared to Michigan's three, extending the score to 42-29. At 8:17, Wright ended the drought and laced his final trey of the half to set the scoreboard at 42-32. Michigan captured only one score -- a lay up from hands of Wright -- for the remainder of the defensive bout, while Wisconsin tallied eight points from the inside and one free throw to end the game, 51-34.
The Wolverines finish their 2007-08 season with a 10-22 overall mark and a 6-14 record in Big Ten play. The loss marks the end of collegiate careers for seniors Ron Coleman(Romulus, Mich./Romulus HS) and David Merritt(West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield HS). Coleman logged four rebounds in 11 minutes of play and Merritt collected two points and two rebounds in his final game.
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
