Michigan
16-10 (6-7)
Indiana
12-14 (3-10)
Michigan Uses Four in Double Digits to Take Down Hoosiers
2/12/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 12, 2011
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| Stu Douglass | Tim Hardaway Jr.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Arena)
Score: Michigan 73, Indiana 69
Records: U-M (16-10, 6-7 Big Ten), Indiana (12-14, 3-10 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Wednesday, Feb. 16 -- at Illinois (Champaign, Ill.), 7:30 p.m. CST (TV: Big Ten Network)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- After holding a 20-point lead with seven minutes remaining, the University of Michigan men's basketball team weathered a late charge from Indiana, winning, 73-69, on Saturday (Feb. 12) inside Crisler Arena. Freshman guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (Miami, Fla./Palmetto Senior) led all scorers with a career-high 26 points, while sophomore guard Darius Morris (Los Angeles, Calif./Windward) added 15 points, six rebounds and five assists. Junior guards Stu Douglass (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) and Zack Novak (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) rounded out the double-digit scoring for the Wolverines, with 13 and 10, respectively.
Michigan shot 54 percent (23-of-43) from the field and 54 percent (8-of-15) from behind the three-point line, with seven of its eight makes coming after halftime. In the first half, the Maize and Blue was strong defensively, holding Indiana to just 10-of-27 (37 percent) from the field and 1-of-7 (14 percent) from behind the arc while also forcing 10 turnovers.
With a 5-2 lead at 16:58 mark, the Wolverines began to break away, scoring back-to-back baskets while forcing the Hoosiers into consecutive turnovers on the other end. First, Douglass found redshirt freshman forward Jordan Morgan (Detroit, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit) for fast-break layup, followed by a turnaround jumper in the lane by Morris on U-M's next possession.
At the 11:46 mark, the Wolverines again forced the Hoosiers into back-to-back turnovers, converting steals by Douglass and freshman forward Evan Smotrycz (Reading, Mass./New Hampton Prep [N.H.]) into a jumper for Douglass and a pair of free throws for Morris, respectively. After the sequence, Michigan held a 21-11 lead with 10:37 to go in the half.
For the first 13 minutes of the opening frame, U-M shot 10-of-16 (63 percent) from the field and a perfect 8-of-8 (100 percent) from the free throw line but went the last 6:38 without a field goal. Fortunately, Indiana committed its eighth foul at the 7:21 mark, sending Michigan into the bonus. The Wolverines never let Indiana come within more than nine down the stretch, entering the half with a 32-24 lead.
U-M opened up the second stanza knocking down three straight three-pointers, two from Douglass and one from Hardaway, and forcing Indiana to call a timeout after just two minutes. However, the break did not diffuse the Wolverines, as Novak scored the next basket, on a fast-break triple for the 44-28 lead.
At the 9:35 mark, Hardaway's layup, off a pass from Novak, was his first of four straight baskets. Following back-to-back three-point field goals, Hardaway scored on an old-fashioned three-point play at the 6:52 mark to give the Maize and Blue its largest lead of the game, 64-44.
The Hoosiers made one final push in the final minutes, storming back thanks to an 18-5 run and missed free throws on the other end by the Wolverines. Michigan held a seven-point lead with 45 seconds to play, when Indiana forward Christian Watford nailed a three-pointer. The Wolverines were then sent to the line three times, making only 2-of-6, while Indiana converted another jumper. With eight seconds remaining and a 71-67 lead, Morris finally knocked down two from the charity stripe and U-M held on for the win.
The Wolverines return to action this Wednesday (Feb. 16) when they travel to Champaign, Ill., looking to win the only matchup of the season against Illinois inside Assembly Hall. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. CST, and the game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
