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Tim

novakPSU.jpg

Michigan 64 Penn State 55, Michigan 8-6 (2-1 Big Ten)

So, uh, What Happened?

I have no idea. I can't afford cable, so I was taking in the game at a local drinking establishment. It was turned off for maybe 5 minutes so we could watch the AWESOME PREGAME for the BCS National Championship game. By the time I convinced the waitress to get the Michigan game turned back on, the margin had gone from 16 points to a more manageable 7. The Wolverines continued to make buckets, and Penn State threw the ball away time and again, resulting in a Michigan victory that actually could have been by a slightly wider margin. I think the difference between halves can be best illustrated by a...

Chart?

Chart.

Stat Half 1 Half 2
Michigan 3pt% 0.00 58.33
Michigan eFG% 34.78 79.63
Michigan Free Throw% 0.00 83.33
Michigan Points 16 48
Michigan Turnovers 9 3
PSU Turnovers 7 10
Talor Battle Points 9 0
Michigan Bench Points 0 0

So it was a difference of night and day, especially considering that most of the Wolverines' improvement came with less than 12 minutes remaining on the clock. John Beilein's rousing halftime speech (saying absolutely nothing) must have made a huge difference. [Editor's note: this tactic sometimes works in Football Manager.]

Ken Pomeroy was so inspired by this game, that he wrote a blog post about whether it's even possible for a team to win a game without making a 3-pointer (he concludes probably not), since Michigan didn't do so until 11:59 remained in the game. However, it should be noted that it's not like Michigan wasn't trying to make threes, it just so happened that they missed their first 14(!) attempts.

Zack Novak broke the seal with just under 12 minutes to go, Laval Lucas-Perry gave an inspired performance (as he only seems to do on the road), and Michigan drilled 7 of their final 10 attempts to steal the road win. Aside from the inconsistency between halves, there were other causes for concern, of course. As noted above, bench players scored exactly 0 points, though Darius Morris contributed in other ways. There is still a lot of work for this team to do if they want to reach the top half of the conference, despite the 2-game winning streak (the first winning streak of any kind since November).

For other takes on the game, check out recaps by the Big Ten Geeks, UM Hoops and Black Shoe Diaries.

So What Now?

Michigan fought through one of their worst single halves of the year, and managed to win a game on the road. It remains to be seen whether making it past such adversity will make the team stronger, or scare the crap out of them as they realize how fragile their season truly is. With upcoming home games against Northwestern (Sunday at 2:30 in Crisler) and Northwestern looking more winnable, this season has a chance to make the postseason after all. NIT or Bust, Baby!

Comments

jsquigg

January 8th, 2010 at 1:01 PM ^

I saw the game as well as the second half of the OSU game and one thing strikes me as being different in the last two games than the games preceding: The Wolverines played defense. Even in the first half of the PSU game the Wolverines weren't horrid defensively (and yes, I'm aware that they gave up easy layups following the rare easy looks they got in the first half). Another theme that encourages me is that Manny Harris and especially DeShaun Sims are taking over games. Manny didn't have a great day stat-wise but a lot of that was him being doubled and his teammates missing shots. Sims, however, was a beast. Hopefully they can maintain a level of consistency defensively, because much like their football brethren, the rest of the season hinges on their performance at that end of the floor.

Joined: 09/06/2009

MGoPoints: 9621

Steve in PA

January 8th, 2010 at 3:30 PM ^

Single out Manny especially. I saw him miss several switches that resulted in his guy being open and 2 defenders on the wrong person. Result...easy baskets for PSU. At one point in 1st half JB did one of those arms around lectures to Manny, then that was it. My wife commented that JB wasn't even up or yelling for the rest of the 1st half. I told her that I've coached those kind of games and there's nothing he can do at this point until his players decide they want to get it done. Second half, they did and show a little of what they can do if they play inspired basketball.

Joined: 08/10/2009

MGoPoints: 6327

bliang

January 8th, 2010 at 1:21 PM ^

I live in PST, so I couldn't watch it (at work). Instead, I used the live audio feed from mgoblue. Actually, I now prefer listening over watching the games. Announcers aren't actually very good, so it might just be the fact that whenever I have listened we have won. Also like that they're fans and will occasionally grunt out a "GET IN, YES!" as shots are in the air.

Joined: 09/10/2009

MGoPoints: 78

stmccoy

January 8th, 2010 at 1:26 PM ^

This team has to come out with more intensity and fire, especially on the defensive end of the floor. Shooting is going to be off and on throughout the year, that is the nature of basketball. You can't be on all the time. The one thing that can remain constant is pushing opponents to make tough shots and to take care of the ball and that starts with getting fired up to play. They look like they are going through the motions sometimes and the first half of last night’s game is a prime example. If they would come out fired up, ready to pounce, they wouldn't put themselves in positions where they have to come back on the road(which won't happen very often in the Big Ten). Shooting is up and down. Getting solid wins in this conference starts with intensity which leads to defensive stops, loose balls, rebounds, forced turnovers, and competitive basketball games.

Joined: 10/07/2009

MGoPoints: 2146

jamiemac

January 8th, 2010 at 4:28 PM ^

Dear Fellow Michigan Fans, When watching hoops, there is no need to panic and worry until the team you are rooting for is down more than there are minutes left. That little rule of thumb has helped me stay calm over the years during awful first halves and second half surges that go against my team. Hoops is a roller coaster. If you cant handle your team getting down after a big run in the first half, maybe not watch, for your family's dog sake or your blood pressure's sake. Jeebus. Reading through that Open Thread after the game made me embarassed. Not speaking to anyone directly in this thread. BUt, holy shit was that thread a waste of space. I used to love hanging out here for games. But, man, all the Chicken Littles, mean spiritedness that gets hurled at the team and coaches during games is making this place an awful game day destination.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 8446