Michigan basketball rallies early, then stumbles in 88-73 loss to Illinois
It was so swift, so overwhelming, that Michigan basketball couldn't have seen it coming.
Just as the Wolverines were on the brink of overtaking Illinois in the second half of their 88-73 loss Thursday, the Illini ambushed them. Justin Harmon converted a three-point play. Luke Goode sank a shot from behind the arc. Then Coleman Hawkins poked the ball away from Jaelin Llewellyn, leading to a fast-break dunk by Harmon. On the other end, Olivier Nkamhoua was rejected at the goal, triggering yet another Illinois offensive. It was capped by Ty Rodgers, the Grand Blanc alumnus whose driving layup provided the exclamation point to an emphatic 10-0 run. A tenuous one-point lead had suddenly metastasized into a double-digit advantage during a transformative 74-second sequence that staggered Michigan and powered Illinois to the finish line.
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Up until that pivotal sequence, it was uncertain if the 14th-ranked lllini would be able to fend off Michigan. They spent the entire game trying their darndest to pull away from the Wolverines. Yet each time they created some separation, Michigan found a way to close the gap. It had to have vexed Illinois coach Brad Underwood. But his team never crumbled, even as it continued to play without Terrence Shannon Jr., the Illini's leading scorer who was suspended Dec. 28 after he was charged with rape. The absence of Shannon was expected to loom large Thursday. The Illini, after all, had won only three of their past five games, including a nip-and-tuck victory over a middling Michigan State squad at home.
Yet the concerns faced by Illinois seem to pale in comparison to the problems afflicting Michigan, which has been betrayed far too often by its own defensive shortcomings. Before it took the court Thursday, the Wolverines had conceded 77.5 points per game — the second-highest average in the Big Ten.
The Illini were primed to take advantage of its opponent’s greatest vulnerability. And they did by shooting 48.4% from the field and relying on a starting lineup with four players who scored in double figures Thursday.
Together, they attacked the rim right at the outset. Hawkins and Rodgers each scored on driving layups to stake Illinois to an early lead. Minutes later, Quincy Guerrier soared through the air to slam home a missed 3-point attempt, giving Illinois a commanding 11-2 advantage.
Right then and there, Michigan’s players could have surrendered by waving one of the white T-shirts given to members of the student section behind their bench for the Wolverines' planned "white-out". It looked that bleak inside a silent Crisler Center. But the Wolverines did not capitulate. Instead, they stayed in the fight by whittling away at Illinois’ lead with hard-earned baskets in the paint — Tarris Reed Jr. finished with a team-high 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting with nary a jumper attempted — and nice shots.
Nkamhoua drained a 3-pointer to blunt another potential surge, drawing Michigan within five points, 18-13, with 11:33 left in the first half. About five minutes later, Nimari Burnett left a defender in his wake when he pulled back and connected on a jumper that cut the lead to two, 27-25. As the half came to a close, Michigan remained within striking distance. Jaelin Llewellyn settled near the top of the arc and received a pass by Nkamhoua. As he launched a 3-pointer, Rodgers crashed into him. The whistle sounded and the ball splashed through the net. Here was a chance at a four-point play. Here was an opportunity to tie the score at 37 before the break. But Llewellyn’s ensuing free throw bounced off the rim, and the Wolverines were left with a one-point deficit as they headed into the locker room.
Llewellyn’s miss didn’t seem that big of a deal at the time. But it seemed to have psychological impact. Illinois, having weathered Michigan’s surge, regrouped and pounced on the Wolverines at the beginning of the second half. Once again, Rodgers and Hawkins were the initial catalysts. They scored on consecutive possessions. Then, Marcus Domask hit a jumper. And Goode nailed a 3-pointer. Just like that, Illinois led 48-40. That sparked another reprisal from Michigan.
But it would prove to be its last. After Nkamhoua scored five straight points to cut the Wolverines' deficit to one, Illinois blitzed the Wolverines during its defining run. Michigan and its home crowd were rendered speechless.
They had no more answers, no more responses. The Illini had the final word on this night. In the end, it was their fans who were screaming in delight.
Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him @RainerSabin.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball walloped by Illinois in second half of 88-73 loss
