CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — For the second straight recreation, regulation was not sufficient time to determine a winner for Michigan basketball.
Down by seven with 2:06 to play, the Wolverines ripped off a 7-0 run and tied the sport on a Jett Howard 3-pointer with 45.6 seconds left in regulation. Hunter Dickinson tried a go-ahead hook shot within the closing seconds, however it missed the mark.
In the additional interval, Howard — in his first recreation again after lacking two video games with an ankle harm — hit a 3 from the very same spot as the tip of regulation on Michigan’s first possession. Michigan stretched its result in seven with 1:49 remaining within the additional interval, however just like the Illini earlier than them, could not cling on.
Illinois closed the additional interval on a 7-0 run of its personal; a Terrence Shannon Jr. layup with 26.5 seconds to play tied it earlier than Joey Baker missed a go-ahead 3-pointer with 4 seconds left, sending the groups to a second additional time.
Matthew Mayer scored the primary seven for Illinois, and Dickinson countered with six to get inside one. Shannon missed a 3 with 15 seconds to play, however acquired the offensive rebound and made each free throws.
Michigan drew up its third end-of-game play, however Baker airballed an open have a look at a 3 as U-M fell, 91-87, on Thursday at State Farm Arena.
“You actually could not ask for higher seems,” Dickinson mentioned of the photographs U-M acquired. “Joe on the finish was a extremely good look, I imply you may’t actually ask for significantly better play-calling down the stretch. Coach put us in conditions to win.”
Dickinson led the way in which with 31 factors and 16 rebounds. Kobe Bufkin, who had a private 8-0 run when U-M was down by 9 halfway by means of the second half, scored 23 whereas Howard, who fouled out late, added 15.
Mayer had a team-high 24 factors seven rebounds for Illinois, adopted by Shannon with 21 factors and 7 rebounds, Ty Rodgers with 14 factors and 7 rebounds and RJ Melendez with 12 factors.
The Wolverines (17-13, 11-8 Big Ten) are actually right into a six-way tie for second place within the Big Ten with one recreation remaining: at Indiana, on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. (CBS).
“It was a kind of nice video games,” Michigan coach Juwan Howard mentioned. “Unfortunately, on this degree of competitors within the recreation of basketball, there’s going to be one group that wins and one group that loses. So I really feel unhealthy for our guys due to how they competed from begin to end.
“Overall, it hurts to lose this ballgame, however I’m pleased with our guys’ effort.”
The additional frames
Howard’s 3-pointer to open the primary OT put the Wolverines up three, earlier than a Melendez layup. Dickinson scored Michigan’s subsequent six factors on three straight buckets within the paint earlier than two Howard free throws put U-M forward, 81-74.
“I haven’t got to inform Hunter something,” Juwan Howard mentioned. “All I’ve to inform him is, ‘Hey, we’ll you large fella,’ and he delivers each time. That’s why I’m at all times within the trenches with Hunter Dickinson, among the best gamers in faculty basketball.”
Shannon responded with a three-point play on a jumper and a free throw, Rodgers hit a reverse layup after which Shannon hit one other bucket to tie the sport with lower than 30 seconds to play.
Mayer hit a 3-pointer and a reverse layup to go up 5 early within the second additional time, earlier than a pair of Dickinson free throws. After Mayer made one other layup falling down, Dickinson made a layup after which a hook shot whereas he was fouled, however missed the game-tying free throw with 41 seconds to play.
Shannon made three of 4 free throws the remainder of the way in which for Illinois, which has now beat Michigan in six straight conferences.
“They each are actually good ballplayers,” Juwan Howard mentioned of Shannon and Mayer. “They’re two distinctive gamers, and Illinois may be very lucky to have these guys who pose matchup issues for his or her opponent.”
Pivotal second half stretch
The recreation was tied at 41 earlier than an Illinois 9-0 run made it a 50-41 recreation.
Juwan Howard wished to name a timeout and twice glanced on the scoreboard as he debated with himself, however knew he could not — the Wolverines had already used three within the first half. The first got here when Jett Howard misplaced management of a ball and went diving for it to avoid wasting a possession. Another when Howard opted to silence the Illini crowd after a thunderous Sencire Harris slam gave the Illini a two-point lead.
Then the third, seemingly with out a good cause, got here with 11.1 seconds left within the opening interval.
“One was my fault,” Howard mentioned. “The final one was on me, I take full possession of it, however that did not have something to do with the sport.”
MARCH IS HERE: What took Michigan basketball so lengthy to show it round, land on brink of NCAA match
BIG TEN WOMEN’S HOOPS:Michigan denies PSU, 63-61, in Laila Phelia’s return
Michigan and Howard could not cease the clock, however Bufkin did not want it. U-M responded to Illinois’ blitz with a 10-0 push of its personal, together with eight straight from Bufkin to take a one-point lead, 57-56.
“Kobe, like his teammates, all of them competed,” Juwan Howard mentioned. “They did not cease competing till the tip of the buzzer.”
Illinois answered with a 12-4 run of its personal and twice acquired the lead out to seven factors, however may by no means distance itself from the Wolverines.
Fast begin, sloppy end in opening half
Michigan had no issues stepping into its offense within the early going. Dickinson and Dug McDaniel buried consecutive lengthy balls on two of U-M’s first three possessions earlier than a McDaniel mid-range jumper made it 8-2 lower than three minutes in.
Shortly after the primary media timeout, a wholesome Jett Howard made his first imprint on the sport. The freshman obtained a dribble handoff from McDaniel, turned the nook and threw down a high-flying slam dunk to place the Wolverines up 12-6 within the recreation’s first 5 minutes.
But the offense slowed down from there, largely on account of turnovers. Michigan, which entered play No. 12 within the nation in turnovers dedicated (9.9 per recreation), dedicated eight within the first 20 minutes — simply sufficient to maintain the Wolverines out of a rhythm and go 6-for-22 from the ground over the ultimate 15:20.
The Illini shot simply 12-for-33 (36.4%) within the first half, however solely gave the ball away 3 times and had well timed runs.
Down by 4, Luke Goode, Dain Dainja and Mayer made three buckets in 4 possessions, the final of which, a Mayer 3-pointer, briefly gave Illinois its first lead, 21-20, earlier than Mayer was assessed a technical foul to tie the sport at 21.
Both groups went chilly from there. Terrence Williams II had a putback for Michigan earlier than a Dickinson turnaround put U-M up, 25-21. But the Wolverines went the subsequent 4:48 with out a area purpose, Illinois went on a 6-0 run to take a lead after which did not path the remainder of the half.
Tied at 31 with 15 seconds to play, Rodgers, the previous Grand Blanc star, threw down a put-back dunk to present Illinois a 33-31 lead on the half.
Contact Tony Garcia at apgarcia@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @realtonygarcia.
