The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FEBRUARY 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 15 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS FIVE YEARS AGO, 2021: Michigan basketball moved to 16-1, 11-1 in the Big Ten with a massive road victory at Ohio State, 92-87, on Feb. 21, 2021. Hunter Dickinson led the way for the Wolverines, scoring 22 points, grab- bing 9 rebounds and blocking a pair of shots in the win. Eli Brooks added 17 points, Chaundee Brown Jr. 15, Isaiah Livers 12 and Mike Smith 11 for Michigan, which shot 53.4 percent overall and dropped in 11 of 23 from beyond the three-point line. That proved enough to offset Ohio State's Duane Washington Jr. and E.J. Liddell, who scored 30 and 23, respectively. The game remained tight throughout, Michigan clinging to a 45-43 lead at the half, making 10 of 13 threes in the opening 20 minutes. The nation's No. 3-ranked team ultimately beat No. 4, snapping Ohio State's seven-game winning streak, by coming through in the clutch. Dickinson scored 16 of his points after intermission, the Wolverines re- gaining the lead with 6:30 remaining and keeping it to the end. The eventual Big Ten champions shot just one free throw the entire first half, but went 18 for 23 in the second half, making several in the closing moments to hold off the Buckeyes. "I could tell they didn't like us," Dickinson said afterward. "And we sure didn't like them, either." 10 YEARS AGO, 2016: Michigan survived at home against No. 18 Purdue, 61-56, in a defensive struggle on Feb. 13, 2016. Zak Irvin proved the Wolverines' only double-figure scorer with 22, but U-M's defense made those points hold up. The Boilermakers, paced by Caleb Swanigan's 14 points, fashioned a 31-27 lead at halftime. Purdue actually led by as many as 10 in the first half, but Michigan pushed back hard after intermission, grabbing a 41-40 lead early in the final 20 minutes. The Wolverines fell behind again and trailed by six, 56-50, with just three minutes remaining. Irvin nailed a three to slice that margin in half, before Derrick Walton Jr. drove for a bucket that clawed the Wolverines within one. After a Purdue miss, Irvin's jumper made it 57-56 Michigan, the Wolverines shutting down the Boilermakers in the remaining 1:09 and closing the game out at the free throw line. "I think we grew up a lot today as a team," Michigan head coach John Beilein commented. 25 YEARS AGO, 2001: Michigan's hockey team nailed down a much- needed win over Lake Superior State, 5-2, at Joe Louis Arena on Feb. 24, 2001. The Wolverines got 3 assists from Bill Trainor in a game in which they needed to fight back to capture the win. Michigan grabbed a 1-0 lead on a goal by Joe Kautz just 2:47 into the con- test. But LSSU cashed in a power-play goal by Aaron Davis midway through the period, and took a 2-1 lead on Jason Nightingale's tally 3:35 into the second period. That's when Michigan's defense tightened up, allowing no penetration of the U-M net for the rest of the game. A power-play goal by Craig Murray tied it up five minutes later, and Andy Hilbert put Michigan ahead with a goal at the 12:53 mark of the second period. Mike Cammalleri and Hilbert netted the puck in the final period to allow the Wolverines to pull away. "It was a big win because the whole season we were fighting for first place, and with that out of reach we didn't want to drop to third or fourth," Michi- gan head coach Red Berenson observed. "It wasn't a great game, but it was a win and we needed a 'W' badly." — John Borton THIS MONTH IN MICHIGAN ATHLETICS HISTORY DID YOU KNOW? • Your address will be automatically changed to the mailing address on file with USPS? ALL addresses are cross-referenced with the USPS National Change of Address database. • It can take up to 7 days for the USPS to update your address in their database? To prevent missed issues, please notify them right away. • Your postal forwarding order expires in 60 days or less? Most forwarding requests expire in 60 days and DO NOT always include peri- odical mail. Issues are discarded at their discretion. • You should call your local post office to verify your delivery address? Don't assume the post office knows your vacation or moving schedule. Avoid Costly Delays & Replacements! Wolverine Customer Service: 1–800–421–7751 We are happy to assist, but due to privacy laws — postal address changes must be completed by you.