Four Michigan players scored in double figures and the top-seeded Wolverines advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten Conference tournament by slipping past eighth-seeded Ohio State 71-67 on Friday in Chicago.
Aday Mara scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the No. 3-ranked Wolverines (30-2), who will play either Wisconsin or Illinois in a Saturday semifinal. Elliot Cadeau added 15 points and seven assists, while Trey McKenney came off the bench to tally 12 points. Morez Johnson Jr. contributed 11.
Bruce Thornton scored a game-high 22 points for the Buckeyes (21-12), while Devin Royal added 13 points and 11 rebounds. John Mobley Jr. had 12 points as Ohio State shot 37.9% (22 of 58) from the floor.
The Buckeyes had a 62-60 lead with 5:08 left after Christoph Tilly hit a free throw. But Michigan regained the advantage for good on Johnson’s layup with 4:07 remaining and clinched the victory on two foul shots by Yaxel Lendeborg with six seconds on the clock.
The Wolverines won despite shooting 39.1% (9 of 23) from the floor in the second half. They had a 19-8 advantage in points off turnovers and a 16-7 advantage in bench points.
An expected No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, Michigan was playing its first game of the conference tournament after it was idle since finishing the regular season Sunday with a 90-80 thumping of Michigan State.
The Wolverines were connected on defense early and established a 15-5 lead with 14:47 remaining in the first half when former Buckeyes guard Roddy Gayle Jr. made two free throws.
Ohio State found traction later in the half when it cut a 25-14 deficit down to 35-33 on Thornton’s 3-pointer before Michigan was able to take a 39-35 edge into the break. The Buckeyes entered on a four-game winning streak and are expected to receive an NCAA Tournament at-large bid.
The Wolverines made half of their 30 shots in the first half and forced eight turnovers.
