The comeback was nearly complete. The Michigan Wolverines found themselves down 13 points to the Ohio State Buckeyes with five minutes remaining in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinal game. Making matters worse, the absence of Isaiah Livers was further accentuated with the fifth foul of Franz Wagner. Despite a struggling offensive output, Wagner further removed any doubt that he deserved a place on the conference all-defense team.
Behind a strong outing from Hunter Dickinson (21 points on 9-14 FG) and an efficient 12-point outing from Eli Brooks, the Wolverines were able to keep up with a Buckeye squad that was on fire from deep. Ohio State finished the game shooting 54.5% from three-point land, behind extremely good play from EJ Liddell and Duane Washington.
Michigan will have to find a way to carry on without Isaiah Livers for the foreseeable future, but the performance from Brandon Johns Jr. helped alleviate those concerns with the ability to consistently get to the foul line and played admirably. It’s likely Michigan will retain their 1-seed, despite the loss, and from here on out, the season is one loss from being over.
Timestamps:
- 00:00 - Intro
- 00:22 - Highlights
- 21:31 - Stats
- 22:00 - 3 Key Points