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CHAMPS MICHIGAN 59 WISCONSIN 53
Michigan wins Big Ten Tournament in Dusty May’s first year SAM NOVOTNY Daily Sports Editor
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NDIANAPOLIS — As the confetti rained down on the No. 3 seed Michigan men’s basketball team’s championship celebration, its last two months were all but forgotten. The nailbiting wins, shooting slumps and especially its regular-season-ending three-game losing streak were all back of mind as the plans to hang another banner in Crisler Center were written. But to get to the celebratory podium, the Wolverines had to forget something else: the first half of the championship game. Battling through poor early shooting in the Big Ten Tournament Championship game, Michigan (25-9 overall, 14-6 Big Ten) turned a sour ending to their season into a sweet entrance into March Madness against No. 5 seed Wisconsin (26-9, 13-7), winning the title game 59-53.
Despite the ugliness of the first half, Michigan’s turnaround mirrored that of its past two weeks: from stone cold to dynamic and at the top of the food chain, this time cutting down the nets. Twenty minutes before Michigan closed out the Badgers, though, it looked as though the Wolverines had lost all of their offensive mojo. They initially came out in the first half looking like the same team that came to play Friday and Saturday, scoring on three-straight possessions, then the shots stopped falling; Michigan was getting good looks from deep, but couldn’t get them to drop. This resulted in a 23-21 Wisconsin lead at halftime, as neither the Wolverines nor Badgers were potent offensively. But when the teams came out of the half, Michigan was still slow and the Badgers had awoken. After hitting just eight shots the entire first half, Wisconsin made four in the first
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five minutes of the second half to mount the first strong lead of the game. “I don’t remember what the details we talked about at halftime were,” Michigan coach Dusty May said. “But I do remember us rallying
Wolverines’ did not. This stronger start got Wisconsin up by as much as nine points six minutes into the half, just in time for Michigan to wake up and rally too. After two deep shots from freshman guard L.J. Cason kept the Wolverines
The intensity of a championship showdown that was lacking early in the game suddenly came crashing onto the two teams. around the fact we don’t know what it’s going to look like, (or) how it’s going to go, but we’re going to dig deep and find a way.” The Badgers’ percentages still weren’t all that strong, but their offense showed life while the
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close while their offense was stagnant, they cut the lead down to just four with 10 minutes to go. “If you know L.J. Cason, he’s never going to be unaggressive,” May said. “We know him, and that’s the beautiful thing about him. We
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know what his DNA is, we know his background, we know who he is to the core.” Michigan, after squandering offensive opportunities away throughout the first 30 minutes, took the next four minutes and made them count. Following countless missed threes, the Wolverines finally got downhill and into the paint, pressuring the Badgers to truly defend and tying the game at 45-45. From there the rubber match ensued. After 35 minutes of offensive struggle, the magnitude of every bucket was amplified. Wisconsin took shots at Michigan, but the Wolverines’ three-big lineup answered right back. The intensity of a championship showdown that was lacking early in the game suddenly came crashing onto the two teams. “Once LJ got us going, that big lineup with great shooting, size,” May said. “Other than one
INDEX Vol. CXXXVI No. 9 ©2025 The Michigan Daily
defensive error, I thought they played almost perfect basketball where they generated good offense, they worked well together, and defensively they were physical and locked into the scouting report.” Big makes went back and forth in the closing minutes, both teams showing up when the lights shined brightest, although Michigan got it done in the end. Graduate center Vlad Goldin was fouled with 46 seconds left, hitting two at the stripe to take a two-point lead — finishing a possession that included two offensive boards for the Wolverines. All it took to finish was a defensive stop, which Michigan sealed after a long Badgers possession. The Wolverines raced up the floor with the rebound and hit two free throws, sealing the title and parading into the postseason on top of the Big Ten.
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