This is a big one and with high stakes beyond bragging rights: No. 3 Michigan basketball taking on No. 4 Ohio State on the road in Columbus to establish the winner as likely the best team in the Big Ten.
The Buckeyes have been flying high as of late, winners of seven in a row while Michigan had to sit idle for three weeks due to COVID-19 procedures in the athletic department. OSU comes into the game with a better offense, per KenPom, while the Wolverines defense was considered significantly better by the same metrics.
So who would win? What would win out?
The first half of the contest saw a back and forth affair, with Michigan hitting with constancy from deep while Ohio State scored with regularity, no matter how stout the maize and blue defense. With a two-point halftime lead, who would take the reins in the second?
The second half was a continuation of body blows, with each team exchanging leads. The 3-point shooting wasn’t nearly as hot for the Wolverines in the latter 20 minutes, which helped the Buckeyes immensely. Meanwhile, the Wolverines weren’t scoring from the field in general, but found themselves going to the line.
From there, it was more of the same, a back and forth affair, . But Michigan took a six point lead with 2:33 left in the game and never looked back, winning 92-87 to improve to 16-1 on the year.
Here’s our five takeaways.