The Michigan Wolverines beat the Illinois Fighting Illini on Sunday, 70-61, to move to within half a game of first place in the Big Ten. The Illini fell to 16-9 overall and 5-7 in conference.
Feb 12, 2012 - The Michigan Wolverines beat the Illinois Fighting Illini 70-61 on Sunday to improve to 9-4 in the Big Ten Conference, putting them a half game behind Michigan State and Ohio State atop the standings. Evan Smotrycz and Matt Vogrich combined for 21 points off the bench to help make up for spotty shooting from senior guard Stu Douglass and early foul trouble from forward Jordan Morgan.
Perhaps the biggest key to victory was the reemergence of Tim Hardaway Jr., who had struggled mightily with his shot leading up to Sunday. He went 5-9 from the field, including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, for 15 points against the Illini. Freshman point guard Trey Burke pitched in 14 points and three assists, and Zach Novak had nine rebounds to go along with his 12 points.
The Illini got out to a 7-2 lead early, and the two teams were tied at 20-all with 8:10 left in the first half. A pair of Smotrycz put the Wolverines up for good, however. Illinois 7-footer Meyers Leonard could have been dominant, but foul trouble rendered him ineffective. He still picked up 12 rebounds on the day. Brandon Paul led the Illini with 21 points, but he also had seven turnovers to three assists.
The Wolverine will play the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes in Ann Arbor this Saturday to potentially take sole possession of first place in the conference.
For more on the Wolverines, head over to the SB Nation blog Maize 'N Brew. For more on the Illini, check out Hail To The Orange. Stay tuned to our college basketball hub for more news.
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