At the Buzzer: Michigan 70, Indiana 67

Quick thoughts on a 70-67 loss to Michigan:

How it happened

It was another uninspired effort for Indiana against Michigan on Saturday afternoon at Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers fell behind 16-5, briefly rallied to tie the game at 16 and fell apart the rest of the first half. On the strength of a solid 5-for-12 performance from beyond the 3-point line, the Wolverines led by as many as 18 before settling for a 43-27 advantage at the break. Indiana scored a putrid .79 points per possession and shot 35.3 percent from the field. The Wolverines also got to the free-throw line 11 times, connecting 10 times. The Hoosiers were just 1-for-2 from the stripe.

After Michigan opened a 17-point lead on a Danny Wolf bucket with 17:18 to play, the Hoosiers ripped off an 8-0 run to get within nine at 49-40 with 14:31 left. By the under-12 media timeout, Indiana cut the lead to seven on a Malik Reneau bucket, which made it 53-46. Reneau completed a 3-point play out of the timeout to cut the lead to six and a Mackenzie Mgbako 3-pointer got the Hoosiers within three at 53-50 with 11:01 left. The Hoosiers got within one at 53-52 with 9:30 left on a Mgbako layup. After Michigan pushed the lead to seven at 59-52, the Hoosiers scored the next five to get within two at 59-57 with 4:53 left on a Trey Galloway runner. The Hoosiers tied the game at 59 on a pair of Luke Goode free throws with 4:08 left.

But the Wolverines had an answer. Michigan went on a 7-2 run to grab a 66-61 lead with 1:25 remaining. Indiana took a timeout with 1:17 left, and Reneau’s layup with 1:01 left got the Hoosiers within three at 66-63. After a Wolf miss on Michigan’s next possession, the Hoosiers took a timeout with 26 seconds left trailing by three. An Mgbako 3-pointer rimmed out after the timeout and a loose ball ended in a jump ball, giving the Wolverines possession. After Tre Donaldson missed the front end of a 1-and-1, the Wolverines fouled Galloway, who made one of two free throws to make it 66-64. Indiana had to foul Wolf, who made two free throws to make it 68-64. After a missed Reneau 3-pointer, Wolf made two more free throws to make it 70-64 and seal the win before an Anthony Leal heave at the buzzer went in.

Standout performer

Mgbako scored all 15 points in the second half and also pulled down 11 rebounds. Reneau finished with 16 points on 7-for-14 shooting in 30 minutes.

Statistics that stand out

The free-throw battle was pivotal in Michigan’s win. The Wolverines shot 17-for-20 from the line and outscored IU by six from the stripe. The Hoosiers were 11-for-15.

Final IU individual statistics

Final tempo-free statistics

Category: Commentary

Filed to: Michigan Wolverines