The Michigan Wolverines led the Indiana Hoosiers 41-28 at halftime of their Big Ten Tournament game on Thursday. By the end of the game, they’d squandered that lead and lost the game, potentially costing themselves a spot in the NCAA Tournament in the process.
And in Juwan Howard’s first game back from his handshake line fight suspension, no less!
Both the Wolverines (17-14) and Hoosiers (19-12) came into the game looking to cement their spot in the tourney, and you could make the case that Indiana accomplished that goal with the win.
You can thank Trayce Jackson-Davis (24 points) and Xavier Johnson (17 points) for leading the way on the comeback, though the Wolverines didn’t exactly help their own cause down the stretch. Not only did they not score a field goal for an entire 11-minute stretch, but bone-headed plays like the one below helped seal the deal.
https://twitter.com/MrMatthewCFB/status/1501991497192906759
Given the extreme nature of the comeback, not to mention the epic collapse by Michigan, there were some pretty strong reactions on social media from college basketball folks. Some were ready to call out the Wolverines for finding a way to lose while others praised the Hoosiers for never giving up.
https://twitter.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/1501992296790831113
THIS INDIANA-MICHIGAN GAME. pic.twitter.com/bZzKOvibwM
— College Sports Only (@CollegeSportsO) March 10, 2022
The Hoosiers now have the chance to pad their resume even further as they take on No. 1 seed Illinois. As for the Wolverines, they’ll have to hope that a lot of things fall their way, unlike what happened in the second half of this game.