Michigan defeats Ohio State behind Terrance Williams II’s clutch play in front of the Fab Five reunion.
ANN ARBOR, Michigan: In front of a reunion of the Fab Five, Michigan men’s basketball ended a run of defeats by defeating Ohio State 73-65 on Martin Luther King Day afternoon at Crisler Center.
Terrance Williams II finished the game with a corner triple in the final seconds to complete a 5-for-5 performance from three-point range. With 18 points in the game, the seasoned forward came in second on the team behind Olivier Nkamhoua’s 20 points.
The Wolverines were on a five-game losing streak coming into the game, but they let a double-digit lead slip away in the second half. However, Williams II and other players made clutch shots in the closing minutes and played solid defense to help U-M win the rivalry.
Ohio State vs. Michigan: First half synopsis
The Wolverines’ offensive leader, Olivier Nkamhoua, scored 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the field. There were not many offensive highlights for either team in the first half, but his entry feed to Will Tschetter from the top of the key was one.
Michigan made more 3-pointers than Ohio State did (7-for-11 vs. 1-for-14). With six minutes remaining in the first half, U-M opened up an eight-point lead, their largest of the day up to that point, thanks to a back-to-back sequence. Terrance Williams II was the first, making both of his first-half three-pointers in front of the Ohio State bench. Then, from the other corner, Olivier Nkamhoua buried a 3-pointer after getting a kind bounce off the rim. The next possession resulted in a goaltend, which took the score to ten points and prompted an Ohio State timeout.
The Wolverines led 37-28 at the half after Dug McDaniel beat the buzzer with a straight-away 3-pointer.
Nkamhoua scored 12 points in the first half, while McDaniel and Williams II each scored 8 points, and Will Tschetter scored 5 points off the bench to lead the Wolverines to a nine-point lead at the half.
Ohio State vs. Michigan: Overview of the second half
The Wolverines had a 12-point lead with 11:46 remaining in the game, but Ohio State went on a 16-0 run over the next four minutes to take a four-point lead into the under-eight timeout. In that time, U-M shot 0 for 8 and went almost five minutes without scoring a basket.
Shot selection, turnovers, and a little regression to the mean in Ohio State’s outside shooting were among the problems. As a result, a second-half deficit emerged from another double-digit lead.
Michigan’s exit was not peaceful. In less than six minutes, Nimari Burnett made a 3-pointer to put the Wolverines back ahead after Olivier Nkamhoua broke the drought with a jumper from the free throw line.
With 2:27 remaining, Terrance Williams II scored two 3-pointers and another goaltend on a layup by Dug McDaniel to tie the game at two possessions. Tarris Reed Jr. then made two free throws to extend the lead to six points.
Following Bruce Thornton’s second-chance layup, Nimari Burnett was fouled for elbowing in the face, which allowed OSU to maintain possession. However, before both teams traded baskets, the Buckeyes missed from inside.
With 52.8 seconds left, U-M was ahead, 69-65. Dug McDaniel broke the press, Terrance Williams II inbounded, and Williams II sank an open three-pointer to complete the victory.
