Michigan takes title with 84-53 win at Illinois
Michigan involved Illinois with a chance at finishing its initial outright Big Ten title considering that 1986.
One possible challenge stood in the way: The Illini were using a warm streak and had held four straight challengers under 50 points.
It ends up Illinois had not been much of a trouble.
Michigan (22-7, 14-3 Large 10) buried Illinois with 16 3-pointers en route to an 84-53 blowout Tuesday night.
Nik Stauskas scored 24 points, striking a career-best seven 3 pointers. He stated Michigan really did not want to share the championship with anybody, something it did in 2012.
" We came with that attitude, this was our champion and we wished to succeed it," he stated.
Called in or otherwise, Michigan coach John Beilein shared he really did not see that type of shooting efficiency coming against the Illini (17-13, 6-11).
" I have not seen that in practice also," Beilein claimed." We were really good today.".
Michigan shot 70 percent from 3-point variety and strike 29 of its 51 gos from the field, 56.9 percent.
Michigan's shooting was a" perfect storm" that advised Illinois instructor John Groce of LeBron James' 61-point game on Monday evening.
" He stated he seemed like he was throwing a golf round in an ocean," Groce said." That's just what it resembled tonight.".
Michigan had the game in hand by halftime with a 52-30 lead. The Wolverines hit five straight 3-pointers midway with the one-half to break the game open. The 15-point run transformed widened Michigan's 20-17 lead to a comfy 32-17.
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Caris LeVert added 15 points for Michigan and Glenn Robinson III had 13.
Virtually shed in the shooting was a quietly dominant efficiency on the boards by the Wolverines, outrebounding Illinois 33-23. Jon Horford led Michigan with 10 boards.
The Illini had actually succeeded 3 straight. The loss was their worst in the house in the 51-year record of the sector previously referred to as the Assembly Hall and now called the State Farm Center.
Rayvonte Rice led Illinois with 16 and Kendrick Nunn included 14.
While Michigan damaged 50 factors by halftime, Illinois really did not get there until the game had merely over three minutes left and had long been made a decision.
Offensively, the Illini just weren't bad over the first 20 mins, firing 54.2 percent.
Yet the Wolverines were unstoppable. They were 11-for-14 from 3-point variety (78.6 percent) in the first half.
And Michigan had a loads aids in those definitive 20 mins and, against a group that had actually been living off swipes, had transformed the ball over simply three times. The Illini had buyinged 20.7 points a game off swipes during their three-game succeed streak.
It was the 3-pointers, however, that cracked the game open.
Midway with the fifty percent, the Wolverines were good from 3-point array on five straight possessions. That turned a tight 17-13 game with 13:21 to play into a 32-17 blowout-in-the-making with just over eight mins in the one-half.
" It's just among those things, it's kind of communicable," Stauskas said.
As the clock waned on the fifty percent, the Illini seemed identified to at least not permit the Wolverines break FIFTY.
Michigan had the round and a 49-30 lead with 29 secs left. Illinois committed three straight fouls to keep the Wolverines away from the basket.
Finally, with four seconds left, the Canadian Stauskas awaited the inbound pass from Derrick Walton Jr., as the Orange Krush pupil section aimed loud" UNITED STATE! UNITED STATE!" incantations in his direction.
Stauskas took the pass and, simply ahead of the buzzer, released yet another 3-pointer. It slipped via the web and he enjoyed a long, sluggish stare at the student section just before heading to the locker room.
Horford stated that also after the big win, the Wolverines didn't do too much commemorating.
" Not truly. We know there are higher points ahead of us," he shared.
