Wisconsin whips Michigan 75-62

2/16/2014

ANN ARBOR — The Michigan basketball team could not overcome a passive start as its hopes of capturing its first outright Big Ten title since 1986 took a major hit with a 75-62 loss to No. 21 Wisconsin today at the Crisler Center.

Behind 25 points by guard Caris LeVert, the 15th-ranked Wolverines cut a 16-point second-half deficit to as little as three with 6:16 remaining before Wisconsin pulled away down the stretch.

Michigan (18-7, 10-3 Big Ten) lost for the third time in five games and fell out of first place for the first time this season. The Wolverines host league-leading Michigan State (21-4, 10-2), which plays Nebraska later today, next Sunday.

Frank Kaminsky led Wisconsin with 25 points.

The Wolverines were ultimately undone by a mess of a first half, in which they had zero assists, zero steals, zero blocks, and zero energy. Michigan was unable to shoot (7-of-22) and unwilling to put in work on the glass, with the Badgers swiping eight offensive rebounds in the first 14 minutes alone.