The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN BASKETBALL • Michigan's 79-70 win over Michigan State at Crisler Center Feb. 23 assured the Wolverines of their first regular-season sweep versus the Spartans since 2011. Michigan has now won six of the last eight regular-season meetings between the two schools. • U-M stood 97-76 in the all-time series versus MSU, and 60-28 in games played in Ann Arbor, after the win. Michigan has also won four straight over Tom Izzo's teams at Crisler Center. • The Wolverines established a season low with only three turnovers against the Spartans. They turned it over just once in the first half, and wound up with a 14-0 advantage in points off turnovers. • Sophomore Nik Stauskas led the Wolverines with 25 points in the win over MSU, making a career-high nine field goals. In the two regular-season games combined versus the Spartans this year, Stauskas totaled 44 points. • Michigan's last-second, 77-76 overtime win at Purdue Feb. 26 marked the Wolverines' 20th win of the season. John Beilein's team has now won 20 or more games the past four years, and in five out of the last seven. • The Wolverines improved to 13-3 in overtime games under Beilein, 9-2 in Big Ten play. • Michigan trails in the all-time series against the Boilermakers 84-66, including 51-24 in West Lafayette. U-M has won five of the last seven in the series, including three straight at Mackey Arena. • Beilein's crew overcame a 19-point first-half deficit versus Purdue, marking its biggest comeback of the year. • Michigan's 66-56 win over Minnesota March 1 boosted the Wolverines' all- time record against the Gophers to 88-65, including a 53-20 mark in Ann Arbor. Beilein's teams have won six straight against Minnesota and 10 out of the last 11. • The Wolverines' win over the Gophers clinched a share of the Big Ten title, their second in the past three seasons. U-M also held Minnesota to 20 first-half points along the way, marking the lowest first-half total of any opponent. • Michigan left no doubt in clinching the outright Big Ten championship for the first time since 1986, pummeling Illinois 84-53 in Champaign March 4. The title marked the eighth outright crown ever for U-M, and the 14th Big Ten champion- ship overall. • After the win, Michigan trailed the all-time series against the Illini 85-77, in- cluding a 55-26 record in Champaign. At that point, the Wolverines had reeled off six straight wins versus Illinois, including three straight road contests. • The Wolverines garnered their seventh road victory of the Big Ten season against Illinois, marking only the fourth time in program history they've won that many on the road in conference. BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK