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Michigan shakes off rust, uses big second-half comeback to down Wisconsin
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Michigan was able to avoid a letdown in the return to the court, using a big second-half comeback to take down Wisconsin in Madison.
It has been a wild year for the Wolverines, but they managed to maintain their pace in the B1G race Sunday afternoon. Hitting the court for the first time since a Jan. 22 win over Purdue, many wondered if Michigan would see the same rust issues other teams have following layoffs.
Early on, that was the case as Juwan Howard’s squad faced a 12-point deficit at the break. The Badgers were playing well and looked primed to upset the No. 3 Wolverines at home.
After the break, Michigan found its legs and shooting touch. Led by a game-high 20 points by Isaiah Livers, the Wolverines took the lead with just under three minutes to go. It was a three-pointer by Livers with 2:45 remaining that gave Michigan a 59-57 lead.
After the Badgers tied the game at 59-all, Michigan finished the game by scoring the final eight points in the 67-59 win. Livers led three Wolverines in double figures, including freshman Hunter Dickinson who picked up a double-double with 11 points and 15 rebounds.
Michigan improves to 14-1 overall, including 9-1 in the B1G. The B1G has yet to announce how the regular-season conference title will be determined if teams do not complete all their regularly scheduled games, but the other contenders in the conference are currently Illinois at 10-3 and Ohio State at 11-4.
There is still a little ways to go in the regular season, but Sunday’s win was a crucial one for the Wolverines. Pulling off the comeback while shaking off the layoff will provide even more confidence for one of the best teams in the country.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.