If there are such thing as moral victories when your season is on the rocks, tonight is one. With just nine bodies, two of which were the seldom used Jaron Faulds and Jace Howard, Michigan Basketball managed to hang with #25 Illinois for all of 35 minutes tonight, before the heavily favored Illini pulled away at the end en route to a 68-53 victory. Many fans expected a blowout from the jump, after it was announced that Hunter Dickinson could not go in what was set to be a premiere clash with Kofi Cockburn, but the Wolverines hung tough and in the process, put together maybe their best emotional effort of the season. Problem is, it was still a loss, and that's why Michigan is now 7-7 and in massive trouble. 

As expected, the Wolverines were brutal offensively with this particular lineup. It was a surprisingly high level of defensive compete that kept them in the game for most of the contest, in addition to a high offensive rebounding clip. Michigan was tight with Illinois from the very beginning, with both teams trading scores until the first eight minutes ended tied at 10 apiece. In that stretch was the morsel that epitomized how the first 35 minutes went for the visitors: 6'7" Jace Howard swatting 7'0" Kofi Cockburn. Something no one could have imagined happening back in October.

Part of the reason that happened, however, was the bad news that struck Michigan in the first eight minutes, when Moussa Diabate, Michigan's lone scholarship player capable of playing the five available, took his second foul on a stupid over the back just five minutes in. To the bench went the Frenchman and Michigan was forced to bring Faulds out, as well as Howard to try and cobble together small ball lineups to hang in there. Which, as the Jace block showed, went far better than anyone anticipated. 

Not exactly the size matchup we wanted, but hey we got a cool block out of it! [Campredon]

The first half continued in back-and-forth fashion with both teams bricking three pointer after three pointer. The two squads combined to start the game 0/12 from distance when Alfonso Plummer finally made a three with 6:09 remaining in the first half. At the time, it stretched the Illinois lead to seven, which would soon jump up to nine, but Michigan was not done. DeVante' Jones, who played one of his best games in a Michigan uniform, poured in the next six points for his team to cut the Fighting Illini lead back down to three. Illinois had a couple answers from Cockburn sandwiched around a Jones three pointer, and it was 26-22 at the break in favor of the home team. 

The second half was a constant battle between Illinois trying to run away and Michigan making it close again through a combination of defense, hustle (notably offensive rebounds), and contributions from surprising places. The youth movement took full force to start the latter stanza, as Michigan's first nine points in the second half were scored by freshmen, with Kobe Bufkin and Frankie Collins getting an extensive run for the Wolverines. Illinois would stretch it to 8 or 10, and then Michigan would answer and cut it to one score, and the cycle would repeat itself. 

Indeed, Michigan was running up the floor with the ball down just one with a little over seven minutes to play after a Kobe Bufkin steal. That possession would come up empty, though, and a couple turnover-riddled possessions + productive Illinois offensive trips later and it was a 7-0 Illini run in the span of about a minute. Michigan then trailed by eight with just 5:36 to go. That was the moment when the car ran out of gas and a quick closing spurt by Trent Frazier was enough to slam the door and the ranked Illini won. The final was 68-53, but the game as outlined above, was much closer for the first 35 minutes or so. It was just the ending that got away. 

Some more Frankie and Kobe please? [Campredon]

Jones led Michigan with 17 points; no other Wolverine scored in double figures. The point guard was a reasonably efficient 7/16 from the field, and 1/2 from three. No other player made a three pointer, and the rest of the team combined to shoot just 34% overall. The 15 offensive rebounds help, but part of that stat is a function of missing so many shots. It was ugly offensively. There were some brief moments of brilliance from Kobe Bufkin and Frankie Collins that merit more of a look, but the two also combined for four turnovers. If nothing else, perhaps this effort forces Juwan Howard to give the reserve freshmen more of a look. 

The one freshman consistently in the starting lineup, Caleb Houstan, continued his skid. He was a woeful 2/9 from the field and 0/4 from three, now 2 for his last 21 from three in the past five games. Woof. Moussa Diabate showed the whole Moussa experience, inopportune fouls, solid defense, offensive potential, but also wildness and turnovers. Both Faulds and Howard were ofer from the floor, while Eli Brooks scored just seven points on 3/11 shooting. Not good enough. It was a good team effort to hang tough shorthanded, but wins are going to be needed ASAP for a team that's now lost three straight and four of five. 

Michigan is now 7-7 and 1-3 in the conference, facing a crucial week against Indiana and Maryland. That matchup with the Terps is at 7:00 on Tuesday night on ESPN2. There is no content after the jump.