The Michigan Wolverines came into the Big Ten Tournament needing some help if they wanted to make it into the NCAA Tournament. After finishing the regular season with a 20-11 (10-8) record, they took up residence firmly on the bubble thanks to a a late season swoon that saw them lose six of their last nine games.
The Wolverines not only needed to make a run in the Big Ten Tourney but they also needed to add another good win to their resume. Thursday’s tournament-opening win over Northwestern was a good start but it wasn’t going to seal the deal. They’d have their chance Friday when they took on Big Ten regular season champs, No. 10 Indiana.
Following a 12-3 Michigan run, the game was tied 69-69 with just second left. Michigan’s Kam Chatman stripped Indiana of the ball, setting up one last chance to win and stave off overtime. He handed it off to Derrick Walton, who brought the ball across midcourt, milked some clock, and then drove towards the basket with four seconds left. That’s when he passed the ball back to Chatman in the corner right in front of Michigan’s bench and magic happened.
And here’s Matt Shepard’s call on Michigan IMG Sports Network.
https://soundcloud.com/img-audio/mich-iu-gamewinner-311
Michigan wins, 69-66, and moves on to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals where they’ll play the winner of the Purdue-Illinois game. They also probably punched their ticket for the NCAA Tournament.
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