Michigan
15-12,9-8Big Ten
Illinois
20-8,13-5Big Ten
Double-Doubles from Dickinson, Jones Not Enough in Loss to No. 15 Illinois
2/27/2022 5:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» Michigan fell, 93-85, to No. 15 Illinois in a Sunday afternoon battle at Crisler Center.
» U-M shot 51 percent from the field while Illinois shot 57 percent from the field and 59 from long range.
» Hunter Dickinson posted his second straight double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds), while DeVante' Jones added his own double-double with 25 points and 10 assists.
» For a second straight game, Caleb Houstan scored 20-plus points as he tied his career best with 21.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: #15 Illinois 93, Michigan 85
Records: U-M (15-12; 9-8 B1G), ILL (20-8; 13-5 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, March 1 -- vs. Michigan State (Crisler Center), 8:30 p.m. (TV: FS1)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Despite double-doubles from Hunter Dickinson and DeVante' Jones, and a second straight 20-plus point game from Caleb Houstan, the University of Michigan men's basketball team was unable to hold off a red-hot shooting No. 15-ranked Illinois squad as the Wolverines fell, 93-85, Sunday (Feb. 27) at a sold-out Crisler Center.
Illinois started making baskets early and often and carried that throughout the game, shooting 57 percent from the field and 59 percent from long range.
Alfonso Plummer paced Illinois with his five of his six three-pointers in the first half. Plummer's 23 points were half of the 46 produced by Illinois after 20 minutes. In fact, with his long-distance production, Illinois had a mid-first half 8-0 run that the Wolverines could not overcome despite shooting 51 percent themselves from the field.
After missing the January meeting with the Illini due to COVID-19 after effects, sophomore Dickinson led U-M with his eighth double-double of the season -- 13 points, 11 rebounds. Jones added his 16th career double-double (fourth by point-assists) as he finished with a team-best 25 points, 10 assists and three rebounds.
Houstan posted his second straight 20-plus point game, tying his career-best 21. He went 6-for-8 from the field and 7-for-7 on free throws while adding two rebounds and two steals. Returning from his one-game suspension, freshman Moussa Diabate had 12 points and five rebounds.
Coming out of the gates early and often, both U-M and Illinois offenses were in high gear; however, the Illini took an early 12-10 lead heading into the first timeout. Two three-pointers and four inside points from Kofi Cockburn were countered by U-M going 4-for-5 from the free-throw line, four points by Dickinson (five rebounds), and layups from Brooks and Houstan.
As the Maize and Blue hunkered down low with a smaller lineup, Illinois stayed hot from long range as Plummer was 4-for-6 from deep early, helping the Illini maintain their 23-18 advantage. With two more long-range buckets highlighting an 8-0 run, Illinois forced a timeout as it extended the lead to double digits, 31-20.
With U-M trimming the Illinois lead to six, the Illini capitalized on a fast break with a dunk inside from Cockburn and Plummer's fifth three-pointer of the first half to regain an 11-point advantage, 38-27. Any U-M basket was countered on the other side with Plummer's first-half 23 point effort and Illinois shooting 50 percent (57.1 percent from long range). As a result, the Illini held a 46-38 advtange at the half.
Throughout the second half, Illinois continued to focus going low and inside, and was 10-for-12 from the field, steadily holding a 10-point plus lead.
As second-half fouls began to add up, the game slowed with trips to the free-throw line. After Jones was fouled attempting a long-range bucket, he made all three and then came right back down after a Houstan steal to drain another triple as U-M trailed by just five, 76-71, forcing an Illini timeout.
Out of the timeout, Illinois forced two U-M turnovers and connected on the other end of the fast break to regain a nine-point edge, 80-71. However, the Maize and Blue would come right back converting on two Illinois turnovers to again trail by five, 81-75, at the final media timeout.
With U-M training 82-77, Houstan drained a three-pointer to cut the lead to two before Illinois went inside to Cockburn and then Trent Frazier hit a three-pointer with 45 seconds left to cut off any chance for the Wolverines.
The Maize and Blue will begin the final week of the regular season hosting in-state rival Michigan State on Tuesday (March 1) in a "Maize Out" at Crisler Center. Originally scheduled for Jan. 8, the match-up with the Spartans was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within the U-M program. Tipoff is slated for 8:30 p.m. on FS1.
