Michigan fades down the stretch, loses a heartbreaker to Indiana

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan desperately needed a win at home against Indiana to bolster its NCAA Tournament hopes. The Wolverines led by as many as 11 in the first half but gave away the lead and a chance to add to its resume in a 62-61 home loss.

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The Hoosiers came out hot, scoring 4 quick points inside. The Wolverines matched them and then some, scoring 10 points in the first 3:15 against IU’s pressure defense. Indiana wanted to force the pace and did, but U-M responded well.

Junior center Hunter Dickinson’s second chance triple made it 13-6, the Wolverines staying a step ahead behind a jacked-up home crowd. But the Hoosiers went on a run to keep it close. Big man Trayce Jackson-Davis score 9 early points for the Hoosiers, all around the rim. 

Michigan, though, had it working offensively. Dickinson scored twice inside, and the lead ballooned 21-13 at the 12:30 mark. 

Dickinson went to the bench with his second foul at 12:08, forcing the Wolverines to go to freshman big man Tarris Reed. Reed provided some great minutes. He was active defensively and scored inside with a nice little half hook to keep the Wolverines up 8. 

The Hoosiers kept bringing it, but U-M responded. It was 26-18 when Dickinson checked back in at 8:46 after Jett Howard’s drive and finish.  Howard made it 28-18 with a free throw line jumper after an IU timeout. 

Michigan continued to impress. Sophomore Kobe Bufkin started attacking the rim and scored 4 on drives and finishes to push the lead to 32-21, Michigan’s biggest, at 6:25.

The Hoosiers went on a mini 4-point run before Bufkin responded again with a dive and lefty finish. Jalen Hood-Schifino scored 4 straight on jumpers, though, and it was a 5-point game at 2:45 … before Bufkin answered with a long triple to push the lead back to 8. The Wolverines always seemed to have an answer. 

Jackson-Davis, however, continued to go off. He scored 4 straight after Bufkin’s triple to cut it o 37-33 and force a Wolverines timeout. They’d made 7 of their last 9 shots at that point. 

U-M got lucky to finish the half. The Hoosiers missed a wide-open breakaway layup and a putback dunk that would have cut it to 2. Instead, Michigan went into the half up 4 after Jett Howard missed a triple at the halftime buzzer.

Bufkin led Michigan with 12 at the break, while Dickinson and Jett Howard had 9 each. The Wolverines shot 51.7 percent (15-of-29) from the floor.

SECOND HALF — Michigan fades late in a game of runs

Hood-Schifino scored the first points of the second half on a triple from the top, and IU had two more chances to take a lead. They wouldn’t get over the hump until Jackson-Davis scored at 16:31 to give the Hoosiers a 40-39 advantage. The big man had 20 at that point, though he missed the and-one free throw. 

Dickinson’s finish and-one at the other end gave Michigan the lead back, and it appeared it was going to be a back-and-forth half. Jett Howard’s stepback triple, though, made it a 5-point game again, and U-M picked up the defensive intensity. Joey Baker’s first points, a drive and finish at 13:25, put the Wolverines up 49-42 and forced an Indiana timeout. 

IU answered again. The Hoosiers got back within 3 with a 4-point run, but Dickinson’s finish pushed it back to 7, which is where it stood at 10:57. Indiana then made another run. Michigan missed layups and free throws, and Hood-Schifino scored 4 straight to eventually cut it to 1, forcing a Michigan timeout at 9:45.

Another Jackson-Davis backdoor finish gave IU the lead back at 9:00, a tough stretch for the Wolverines. Reed stopped the bleeding with a bucket, and-one, and Michigan was back up 2. 

Back and forth it went. Dickinson’s righty hook at 5:15 made it a 3-point Michigan lead. U-M had two chances to extend the lead, but Bufkin and junior Terrance Willams missed triples that would have extended it. Indiana had the ball down 61-58 with 3:55 remaining.

The Hoosiers scored the next 4 on yet another Jackson-Davis backdoor alley-oop and two Hood-Schifino free throws to take the lead. Dickinson and Bufkin both missed shots at the rim that would have helped.

Michigan got a stop with a minute remaining down 62-61, but Jett Howard hoisted another bad jumper that barely drew iron. Dickinson was called for a reach-in foul with 12.9 seconds remaining, sending Jackson-Davis to the line. He’d miss the front end of the 1-and-1, and U-M had one last chance with the ball and 8.3 seconds remaining.

The Wolverines couldn’t get a good look out of the timeout, and Jett Howard’s desperation triple fell short at time expired. Michigan wouldn’t score in the last 5:12 in the heartbreaking loss.

Dickinson led Michigan with 16, while Bufkin added 14 and Jett Howard 12 in defeat.