Michigan 81, Nebraska 68
Game ... blouses
Derrick Walton capped the victory in appropriate fashion, drilling a long three as the shot clock expired on Michigan's final possession.
After a poor shooting night nearly cost the Wolverines what should've been an easy win over Minnesota, a 10/21 performance from beyond the arc keyed a hard-fought road triumph over a hot Nebraska squad. In a game of runs, Michigan's significant advantage in outside shooting—especially to open each half—ultimately made the difference, even when they tried to hand that edge right back with ill-advised turnovers.
Walton had arguably his best game of the season running the offense with Caris LeVert still sidelined, posting a 19-12-6 line and making 4/6 three-pointers. His ability to dart into the lane and work off the high screen opened up opportunities for Michigan's two other leading scorers on the day; Mark Donnal (14 points, 4/8 FG) benefited when Walton looked to the paint, while Duncan Robinson (21, 6/12) found more room than usual on the perimeter, especially in transition.
Walton had a hand in eight of Michigan's first 12 points as they ran out to an early eight-point lead, then the Huskers clawed their way back, taking advantage of a defensive lapse by Walton to cut the halftime lead to three with a buzzer-beating triple by Glynn Watson. The second half played out in much the same fashion; M quickly pushed the lead up to 18 points, but turnovers and shoddy zone defense allowed Nebraska to get as close as two points with 3:11 left.
This time, however, Michigan closed the half strong. Walton knocked down a pair of free throws, then Muhammad-Ali Adbur-Rahkman found Robinson on a backcut with a beautiful no-look pass for an authoritative finish to get the lead back to six. Shavon Shields, who was hounded into a 4/11 shooting night by Zak Irvin, responded with a layup, but Michigan made a comeback impossible by subsequently knocking down eight straight free throws.
It certainly wasn't a pretty win. Michigan coughed up the rock 14 times, including several skip passes that didn't have a prayer of reaching their intended target; on the other end, the non-Irvin defenders had trouble keeping Nebraska's drivers in front of them, even while mostly playing zone. Road wins should never be discounted, however, and by the power of the three, Michigan emerged victorious in a difficult place to play.
January 24th, 2016 at 7:30 PM ^
And the three-point shot was in the ABA before the NBA.
January 24th, 2016 at 10:58 AM ^
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January 24th, 2016 at 11:07 AM ^
Outrebounded the opponent on the road, shot more free throws and committed more turnovers.
January 24th, 2016 at 12:22 PM ^
You are the worst kind of fan.
January 24th, 2016 at 8:42 AM ^
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January 24th, 2016 at 10:32 AM ^
If a player has a lot of momentum, or if he can't land safely (because someone's underneath), refs will allow him to hang a bit on the rim. I don't recall if that was the case there.
January 24th, 2016 at 11:19 AM ^
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January 24th, 2016 at 12:10 PM ^
(Duh - it's in the gif at the top of the post. I forgot to look at it again.)
Eh, it's borderline. I don't think too many crews would T him up for that.
January 24th, 2016 at 12:35 PM ^
It became a point of emphasis for a while, but it's back to being a rare call, reserved for showing off beyond just hanging on.
January 24th, 2016 at 12:33 PM ^
Robinson flushed it with authority which carried his momentum forward, then he released to the ground. And a Husker ends up at the baseline in basically the exact location where he tips the ball, so it's not like he knocked it away in an unsportsmanlike manner.
January 24th, 2016 at 1:27 PM ^
Can we get the Robinson GIF (above) side-by-side with a Stauskas "Game...Blouses" dunk?? Please.
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