Michigan basketball comes through in 'clutch time' in 72-70 win over Northwestern

The day before Michigan basketball hosted Northwestern at Crisler Center, assistant coach Saddi Washington was asked to explain the team’s defensive improvements in consecutive lopsided victories. Speaking to the media via a video conference call, Washington credited the Wolverines for their intensity and composure in “crunch time” because, he said, most Big Ten games are decided by a critical two- or three-minute spurt.

Roughly 30 hours later, Washington jumped from his seat on the U-M bench and pumped his fists with joy. The Wolverines, who led by as many as 11 but found themselves trailing late in the second half, had conjured one of those very spurts.

With Northwestern leading by one, Michigan connected on back-to-back 3-pointers from Terrance Williams II and Caleb Houstan to surge in front with 1:38 remaining. The Wolverines made four free throws in the final minute and survived by forcing a wayward, double-clutch 3-point attempt at the buzzer to earn their third consecutive win: U-M 72, Northwestern 70.

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Houstan led Michigan with 18 points on 5-for-7 shooting, including a 3-for-5 mark from beyond the arc. Point guard DeVante’ Jones chipped in 15 points, six assists and several clutch free throws. Shooting guard Eli Brooks added 12 points featuring a trio of 3-pointers.

Coach Juwan Howard’s team held a narrow 34-31 lead at halftime, in a game marred by fouls, stoppages and a distinct lack of flow. That Michigan shot 55% from the field and Northwestern shot 48% hid the most important statistic: There were 20 combined fouls split evenly between the two sides.

Foul trouble for the Wolverines began at the 12:53 mark when power forward Moussa Diabate was whistled for his second, which sent him to the bench for the remainder of the half. He’d been tagged earlier in the game for an unnecessary foul some 30 feet from the basket as Northwestern broke the Michigan press. It was hardly the first time Diabate’s overexuberance led him to commit a foul in a non-threatening part of the court this season.

Similar frustrations were triggered by Hunter Dickinson, who earned both of his fouls setting illegal screens on the offensive end of the floor. It meant that three of the four infractions committed by U-M’s starting big men could be described as lapses in concentration rather than effort fouls preferred by coaches prefer, such as attempting to block shots at the rim or trying to take a charge.

Howard’s options dwindled with several key players bothered by foul problems, prompting a dose of lineup experimentation near the midway point of the half. There was a stretch of minutes before and after a timeout when the Wolverines used a quintet of Jones, Williams, Bufkin, Brandon Johns Jr. and walk-on Jaron Faulds.

They remained afloat from the free-throw line, where Houstan earned eight shots by himself after slashing to the basket and crashing for offensive rebounds. He made five of them after entering the night with a game-high of four.

But Michigan’s foul problems extended into the second half and eroded an 11-point lead. Diabate was whistled for his fourth foul with 13:26 remaining. Frankie Collins picked up his third with 11:46 to play. Dickinson got tagged with his third at the 8:46 mark and his fourth barely a minute later with U-M trailing, 56-55.

The situation grew bleaker several minutes later when Dickinson and Diabate were each hit with their fifth foul, 38 seconds apart, with Michigan clinging to a one-point lead. The Wolverines needed one of Washington’s spurts, and its 3-point shooters were happy to oblige.

Jones sealed the victory by making four consecutive free throws in the final minute.

The spurt was complete.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball comes through in 'clutch time' in 72-70 win over Northwestern