This game could have been any in the first half of the season. There was lackadaisical offensive rebounding, missed assignments on defense, freshmen turning good possessions into fadeaway long twos, wingers picking up ticky-tack fouls, and Hunter Dickinson setting up way too high in the post.

This game also could have been any in their resurgent February. Michigan corrected its mistakes on the fly, contested the rim with its lineup of two bigs, cycled into drawing three charges (could have been five), found buckets from a more aggressive Dickinson in the paint, fixed a dislocated finger, and erased a late deficit to put themselves in position to win a desperately needed Q1 road game in the Big Ten.

This game also could have been academic, had Michigan admissions found their way to letting Terrance Shannon finish a few credits of his Texas Tech degree on campus. Illinois, like every other D-I university in America, had no issues. Michigan, like every team without a wing eraser like Shannon, had an impossible time shutting that guy down.

This game could have ended down 7 near the end of regulation. It could have ended up 7 near the end of the first overtime. This game could have put them in the tournament field. Instead, this game ended on a Joey Baker airball.

Michigan started hot early, with an early threes from their two stars Hunter Dickinson and Kobe Bufkin. But things quickly turned into a slog as neither team was able to get the shots they were hunting. Illinois mostly took advantage of the slippery hands of Dickinson, who had three turnovers in the frame to just four field goals. It certainly wasn't Dickinson's best half; he struggled to get the ball deep into the post, and settled for a lot of low-percentage hooks.

The other issue that came back emphatically in the first half was a rusty Jett Howard. In his first game back from an ankle injury, Jett was the usual culprit on missed rotations and boxouts. Other than an impressive early drive and dunk, Jett wasn't great on the other end either, forcing offense when it wasn't there and missing open teammates when it was. Michigan held a 2 or 4 point lead most of the half, but missed a big opportunity to generate a real lead when Dickinson tipped a Kobe Bufkin miss back out to the arc and Jett sleepily allowed the dribbler to be snatched by an opportunistic Illini. Instead of a shot at a 6- or 7-point lead Jett had to foul on the breakaway. It was the second time he'd turned a turnover into a foul counter on himself. Those fouls would be relevant.

Late in the half, Illinois took a 33-31 lead when Jett failed to box out Ty Rogers on a clock-draining drive by Shannon, leading to an and-one dunk. Dug McDaniel drew a foul on the floor but missed the front end of a one-and-one to give Illinois a two-point lead going into the break.

The Wolverines started Will Tschetter in both halves, and both times he looked overmatched, picked up quick fouls, and had to leave the floor. Michigan would go with Reed or Terrance Williams at the sore four spot the rest of the way. Jett also spent long stretches in the second half on the bench after Illinois finally hit a few of their stepback triples to build the game's first lead of any consequence.

That's when Kobe Bufkin dislocated his finger. As a horrified Jaelin Llewellin looked on, Bufkin's finger was put back in place. Kobe then promptly hit stepback threes in back-to-back possessions, capping a 10-0 Michigan run that put the Wolverines up 57-56. Illinois replied with a run of their own to go up 70-63 with 2:35 remaining in the 2nd half. Jett checked back in.

Earlier in the season it might have ended at that. Instead both teams traded 7-0 runs to force two overtimes.

Michigan forced the first on strong defense by Tarris Reed, good post work by Hunter Dickinson, a desperation drive through two defenders by Kobe Bufkin, and Jett  sinking an open three. Michigan had the ball with a chance to win, got the ball to a singled Hunter, but contact wasn't called and a good look didn't fall.

Their momentum carried into the extra five. Dickinson got away with a travel to create a bunny, and sank a floater on his next post touch to go up 79-74. Illinois tried another stepback three, a good bet this game since caroms off bricks were their best source of offensive rebounds, but this time Bufkin came down emphatically with the rebound. Jett sank a pair of free throws to put his team up 81-74.

Illinois responded with their own 7-0 run. Shannon drove into both Reed and Dickinson to draw contact for an and-one. Michigan struggled to inbound the next possession, and Dickinson picked up a tetchy but callable offensive foul trying to dribble himself clear instead of just calling timeout. Shannon drove under the basket for two, Dug missed an open three off a Hunter double, and Shannon drew another foul on Reed, who fouled out on the play. Michigan had the ball with 21 seconds to end it, but Duke transfer Joey Baker pulled the trigger early, and missed his three. Jett Howard collided with Kobe Bufkin trying to rebound, and Illinois had a chance to win but fumbled it instead of shooting as the first overtime expired.

Falling behind by five, Michigan had their chances to force a third overtime. Illinois's Coleman Hawkins fouled Dickinson, and called and received a hook and hold review. The review just showed him fouling Dickinson a lot, Hawkins kept yammering anyways.

Still up three, Illinois went hunting for daggers. A pullup triple fell short enough to come off the rim hard, but Jett boxed Shannon out to the free throw line to collect the rebound. Unfortunately he got swatted at on the other end, and Illinois got possession on the tie-up. They missed another heat check, followed by a Jett Howard miss opened by a double on Dickinson. Illinois the drew up an open three for their sharpshooter that also missed.

With enough time left for a stop and two possessions, the Wolverines got the ball to Dickinson low, who backed down a still-complaining Matthew Hawkins, and scored through contact, but missed his and-one opportunity, part of 2/5 night from the stripe for the big man. The ball then went to Shannon, but Jett got in front of him and forced a terrible shot. Unfortunately this one was so off it rimmed back out to Illinois. Jett had to foul, his fifth.

Dug McDaniel took the ball upcourt and called timeout. With 6.3 seconds left, Juwan Howard schemed a wide open three off the inbound for Baker, who rushed his shot, and airballed.

Michigan travels to Bloomington on Sunday for one last shot at a tournament resume, barring a deep run in the Big Ten Tournament. If they don't win that game, they can look back at this game, or that game, or the many, many, many games this season they could have won, but ultimately came up short.

Box score after the jump.