Michigan loses late 5-point lead, game to Indiana

3/10/2013

ANN ARBOR — Michigan lost out on a share of the Big Ten championship with a gut-wrenching 72-71 loss to No. 2 Indiana today at Crisler Arena.

Needing a win over the first-place Hoosiers to force at least a three-way championship tie, the Wolverines (25-6, 12-6 Big Ten) blew a five-point lead with less than a minute left.

After building a 71-66 advantage, everything fell apart for UM. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke missed the front end of one-and-one free throws on consecutive possessions while Indiana kept scoring — including on a Cody Zeller layup that put the Hoosiers ahead 72-71 with 14 seconds remaining.

The Hoosiers clinched their first outright Big Ten title since 1993.

Burke, possibly playing his last home game before leaving for NBA riches, led Michigan with 20 points. UM will be the No. 5 seed at next week's Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State, which needed a Wolverines win to earn a share of its fourth straight league championship, will be the second seed.