Hoosiers hold off UM

Michigan s Daniel Horton, left, tries to hold onto the ball while being defended by Indiana s Sean Kline, center, and Marshall Strickland. Enlarge

ANN ARBOR - Michigan coach Tommy Amaker wasn t about to make any excuses.

The Wolverines, down by as many as 16 points twice in the second half, battled back and had a chance to tie Indiana in the final seconds of regulation.

But Bernard Robinson Jr., missed a mid-range jumper in the lane with two seconds remaining and the struggling Hoosiers held on for a 59-57 Big Ten Conference victory over the Wolverines before 13,328 fans at Crisler Arena.

“It was the shot I wanted, from like 14 feet or something,” Robinson said. “I think it was a good shot. It just didn t drop. It hit the front of the rim and bounced off.”

Six seconds earlier, Michigan s Lester Abram had his shot rejected by Sean Kline five feet from the basket.

“Lester had a great opportunity to make that shot,” Amker said, “but he just couldn t finish the play.”

The two key defensive stops helped the Hoosiers (7-6, 1-1 Big Ten) snap a two-game losing streak and win for just the third time in their last six games.

Indiana shot 42.9 percent overall and connected on 8-of-19 3-pointers, led by sophomore guard Marshall Strickland 14 points and 4-of-7 effort from behind the arc. Leading scorer Bracey Wright, held scoreless in the first half, had 11 points and nine rebounds for the Hoosiers. Roderick Wilmont added 12 points.

“We really needed a win and this was a big one,” said Indiana coach Mike Davis, whose team improved to 3-3 on the road. “Today, we had guys step up and play. This was very important, especially being on the road. A road win is like two wins.

“We had two big defensive stops there at the end. We will not play another team in the Big Ten that has the type of athletes they have here at Michigan. We talked to the kids before the game and told them to stay in their defensive stance and that worked this afternoon.”

Michigan (10-3, 1-1) had its two-game winning streak stopped and lost for just the second time in eight games. Robinson, a senior forward, led UM with 16 points, while freshman guard Dion Harris added 15.

Sophomore point guard Daniel Horton, averaging 11.8 points, didn t score until he made a free throw with 9:20 left. And his runner with 54 seconds left pulled Michigan - which trailed by nine with 2:15 remaining - to within two.

However, Horton - the Big Ten s freshman of the year last season - finished with just seven points on 3-for-13 shooting.

“Too many bad shots,” Horton said. “Too many for me, too many for the team.”

Michigan s zone defense was responsible for getting the Wolverines back into the game, after they shot just 28.1 percent (9 of 32) in the opening half and trailed 29-19 at the intermission.

“We played as individuals in the first half,” Amaker said. “I take full responsibility for that. We had poor shot selection and I don t think we have done that all year. We are not good as individuals. We are much more successful as a group. You can t get down that many points and expect to win against a team that s good and hungry.”

In their last two losses, the Hoosiers had been held to 50 points or less - on 25.9 percent shooting - in consecutive games for the first time since 1949.

Indiana, which beat Michigan in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament last season, now leads all-time series, 91-51. The Hoosiers have won four in a row and eight of the last 11.

“Not to take anything away from Indiana, but I felt like we really let one get away today,” Horton said. “They came in here struggling and we helped them get better. That doesn t make me or any of us feel very good.”

QUICK HITS: Michigan retired former All-American Phil Hubbard s No. 35 jersey at halftime and it was hung from rafters at Crisler Arena. He was just the third player in UM history to be so honored, joining 1966 NCAA player of the year Cazzie Russell (No. 33) and former All-American Rudy Tomjanovich (No. 45). ... Indiana s George Leach had six points and three rebounds in his first game since injuring his left knee on Nov. 29 against Xavier. ... Michigan s Chris Hunter blocked three shots in his first game since having surgery on his left knee on Dec. 16. ... The two teams combined to shoot just seven foul shots.