Indiana holds off Michigan basketball's late rally, wins 71-65
Indiana guard Jeremiah Rivers (5) grabs a rebound over a Michigan player during Thursday's game at Assembly Hall.
AP photo
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Large or small, the Michigan basketball team has shown a knack for whittling down deficits.
Against Kansas, the top team in the country, they cut a second-half deficit to single digits after trailing by as many as 21 points. Against Indiana in Thursday's Big Ten opener, the Wolverines faced a smaller deficit.
Michigan forward Zack Gibson, right, has his shot blocked by Indiana guard Devan Dumes during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Bloomington, Ind.
AP photo
In both cases, their comeback efforts ultimately stalled. After tying the game late in the second half, Michigan lost, 71-65, against the Hoosiers.
Indiana would go on a run. Michigan would match, but so often in the second half - save for one time after a Zack Novak three-pointer - they could never take the lead or regain control of a game they dominated in the first half.
In the end, it meant another loss against a team Michigan (6-6 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) expected to be better than at the beginning of the season.
“It was just another hump we couldn’t get over,” sophomore guard Stu Douglass said. “Like the Kansas game, we couldn’t get past 11, we just couldn’t take the lead. Just little things that kept building up, fouling jump shooters three times, box outs here and there, just the little things accumulated into a loss.”
In reality, there were micro and macro reasons for Michigan’s loss. Foul trouble hurt junior guard Manny Harris in the first half.
The offense started off hot, making 6 of its first 10 shots and 4 of its first 5 three-pointers. Then it collapsed. The Wolverines missed 10 of 11 three-pointers to end the first half and finished 9 of 28 for the game.
“Zack got off to a hot start and Stu got one as well. Unfortunately no one else could find the range and we hung around and hung around but we got to shoot,” Michigan coach John Beilein said. “I looked at it and said those guys are shooting the ball well but we shot the ball 32 percent as a team. We’re not going to win. We just have to keep working.”
Michigan picked up seven team fouls less than five minutes into the second half, although Beilein had no problem with the officiating after the game, going so far as to praise them.
The defense allowed Indiana to shoot 46.9 percent for the game and allowed a lot of open looks from three-point range in the first half.
“They got too many open three’s, they were knocking three’s down,” senior forward DeShawn Sims said. “We played them pretty even in the second half, but we put them on the line and they hit a bunch of free throws. We put them on the line a lot.”
All the fouling left Sims and Harris in trouble, which forced Michigan out of man to man and into a 2-3 zone for the majority of the second half. While the Wolverines rotated well at points, it also left them exposed at others.
Indiana (7-6, 1-0 Big Ten), playing its first game after losing its best player, Maurice Creek, looked motivated and inspired. Verdell Jones III led the Hoosiers with 20 points.
Harris, due to the foul trouble, was ineffective for most of the game, scoring 13 points. Novak made 3 three-pointers early to give Michigan a fast 17-9 lead, but then didn’t hit a shot for almost 20 minutes before finishing with a team-high 18 points.
Michigan stayed in the game in the second half because of Douglass, who hit a lot of shots stopping Hoosier runs that could have blown the game open. He finished with 16 points and played the entire game.
It was a game Michigan started well, but couldn’t end up ending early.
“As a team, I felt we were about to take a really big stride forward into the Big Ten,”
freshman guard Darius Morris said. “But to take a loss here, it’s just another reality check that we need to get way better.
“We need to learn to finish out games.”
Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.
Comments
81wolverine
Fri, Jan 1, 2010 : 4:52 p.m.
If this team doesn't "turn the corner" in the next 4 games or so, it isn't going to. Michigan will finish at the bottom of the Big Ten if they continue to shoot this poorly - no doubt. They don't have the inside presence to make up for lousy outside shooting. Last year's team may have overachieved a bit, but this team is clearly under-achieving. Long term, I agree that Beilein needs to find bigger, more athletic inside players who can rebound, block shots, and hit from the paint. That will make us less dependent on the outside shot which is our ONLY option right now. Looks like it might be a while before that happens though.
townie54
Fri, Jan 1, 2010 : 9:32 a.m.
veeeerry disappointing is this team.Great they almost make big comebacks.Why do they keep getting so far down in the first place?This coach cant recruit Michigan.In the Big Ten you dont win with gimmicks in Football or basketball.Good riddance Bill Martin.I think you knew its time to retire after picking these coaches and shoving kids in the press box for doing their job
oscar
Fri, Jan 1, 2010 : 9:15 a.m.
This basketball program is becoming irrelevant once again. Indiana lost to the Loyola (Maryland) Greyhounds a week ago. I cant believe the pass us fans are giving Beilein. Recruiting is a joke. As many of you have said in previous posts, Beileins system is COMPLETELY SOFT and will not move us forward. How many Final Four teams in the past 10 years run a 1-3-1 or play primarily zone? The only one I can think of is Syracuse when they had the best basketball player in the country (Carmelo Anthony).
saginaw
Thu, Dec 31, 2009 : 11:44 p.m.
Things are not as bad as they look, because it is NOT possible that Michigan is this bad. Actually, it is not a really big deal to lose a B10 road game. Things will get better. In Tater we trust.
tulips
Thu, Dec 31, 2009 : 10:55 p.m.
Hoosier fan from fort wayne says the free throw shooting by the reds was driving everybody here crazy. The team was inspired, one turnover in 28 minutes, unheard of. Michigan has a VERY talented team and I'm bettin' they will be in the tournament-
mark
Thu, Dec 31, 2009 : 7:16 p.m.
UM lost to a bad Indiana team who just lost their top scorer. They lost 15 games last year, yet were hailed as a top 15 team in the preseason. Not sure why, unless it is just faith in Beilein. I get a kick out of watching Missedagain lose on the court and on the football field. I think it is because of the shady way that UM acquired their "savior" coaches from WV.Because of this, Karma has, and will continue to be in play at Ann Arbor. Also looking forward to the sanctions yet to be imposed upon your last place football team due to the actions of your illustrious coach. Have fun!
braggslaw
Thu, Dec 31, 2009 : 6:13 p.m.
I think it is pretty clear that the West Virginia experiment has failed.
BornInA2
Thu, Dec 31, 2009 : 5:26 p.m.
Hopefully we'll get our new AD from WVU too, since the first two we got there are working out so very well. What do we have to lose...it can't get much worse.
InRichRodWeTrust
Thu, Dec 31, 2009 : 5:24 p.m.
At least Stu and Zach are know getting there points. Hopefully they can turn things around against OSU. "The Michigan Wolverines" video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7mSdcMTulM
Jaxon5
Thu, Dec 31, 2009 : 4:51 p.m.
Beilein's resume at Mich. Year 1 - took the program to the depths Year 2 -- brought it back, with Amaker's recruits Year 3 -- plunged it back into the depths, causing fans to look for any faint glimmer of hope for the future.
braggslaw
Thu, Dec 31, 2009 : 4:37 p.m.
Marshmallow, Charmin, Cotton, big fat booty..... and Michigan. ====SOFT
miatamich
Thu, Dec 31, 2009 : 4:29 p.m.
Michigan is now in the basement of the Big 10, where it will probably reside for the remainder of the season. Someone mentioned Evan S coming in next year. He's 6-8, 205 lbs. and more of a passing small forward than a inside player. Similar to Blake McLimans, a redshirt this year. The only "big" next year will be Jordan Morgan, who plays soft at 6-8, 240 lbs. Things are not looking good in Ann Arbor...
Clemmer
Thu, Dec 31, 2009 : 3:45 p.m.
What a disappointing loss. Indiana loses their leading scorer, and we still can't get the job done. I will still support the Maize and Blue, but Bill Martin, please don't hire any more coaches from West Virginia. Our basketball team I thought at the beginning of the season was going to be a tournament team, top 3 in the big ten. I was sorely mistaken. It's time for the Michigan basketball team to not rely on the 3-point shot to win games. It's time to use DeShawn Sims at the post more often (please stop shooting 3 pointers DeShawn), and have Manny Harris penetrate and create open 10 foot shots for Douglas, Novak, and Lucas-Perry. It's time to change your philosophy with this team Beilein, or more losses will come.
chosen1
Thu, Dec 31, 2009 : 3:44 p.m.
We have 2 big guys that are being redshirted this year, so they can work on adjusting to college and to Beilein's system in practice. We also have another big Evan S. coming here next year. This team will improve over the big ten season. And if the struggles continue we could always have Manny Fresh back to improve next year's outlook
azwolverine
Thu, Dec 31, 2009 : 3:25 p.m.
I agree that this team needs to get taller...I hope that also means they will try to establish some sort of inside presence. I admit, I didn't follow WVU hoops when Beilein was there, so I'm not sure what type of inside game his teams had there. However, if his teams always mainly fire from outside with no inside game to speak of, it could hinder recruiting players that would help inside, just like when Udoh left early because he didn't feel he quite fit the new system. That said, I would like to see Beilein succeed because of the great job he did last year getting the Wolverines back to the tourney and because he seems to be a class act. I am concerned about the slow start at the moment, but there is still a long way to go this season and we'll see what this team is made of.
Macabre Sunset
Thu, Dec 31, 2009 : 3:18 p.m.
Oh, well. Looks like a team that won't even make the NIT this year. And with Sims and Harris leaving, that doesn't bode well for 2011. The damage done by the Fab Five scandal seems like it'll run two decades, minimum.
Larry Eiler
Thu, Dec 31, 2009 : 3:06 p.m.
Woeful. Worst team in Big 10 is Indiana? Mediocre? That good? MW Ann Arbor
wersch213
Thu, Dec 31, 2009 : 3:03 p.m.
Ekempe Udoh. That was the inside presence we sorely needed...and had, until the transfer to Baylor.
wersch213
Thu, Dec 31, 2009 : 2:43 p.m.
What can we say as Michigan fans? No NCAA this year...disappointing, very disappointing
eessddjj
Thu, Dec 31, 2009 : 2:30 p.m.
Embarassing. Belien's system doesn't work offensively or defensively. Boy the Bill Martin West Va. connection has brought Michigan to a new level of mediocrity.
bigtenknight
Thu, Dec 31, 2009 : 2:23 p.m.
As an announcer once stated and Tater boldly confessed, this team sure looks like it's turning the corner. Many more losses to come. And yes, at this rate Tatertot, they'll be sure to crack the Top 25 again before the end of the year...bwahahahahaha.