The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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their 80-67 home loss to Michigan State Feb. 17 (their fifth straight de- feat). The roll call of recent rumination reads as follows: • Wisconsin, L, 69-64, OT — Peo- ple were left scratching their heads as to why ESPN GameDay would invest a morning, afternoon and eve- ning at Crisler Center this year, given top-five Wisconsin's impending run- away over the wounded Wolverines. It didn't play out that way, of course, ESPN broadcasting the drama of Beilein's crew somehow finding a way to almost win. • At Michigan State, L, 76-66, OT — When Walton came out on crutches, those in the Izzone had to be thinking 20-point win with mounds of mockery upcoming. They found themselves in for a ma- jor scare, Abdur-Rahkman stepping up to score 18 and help the Wolver- ines be in position to win it. Michi- gan's too-young roster never scored in overtime, but for a full 40 minutes they took all the strut out of the Spar- tans. • At Indiana, L, 70-67 — Michi- gan's other Big Ten House of Hor- rors, Assembly Hall, figured to host a beat-down as well, with the Hoo- siers and junior guard Yogi Farrell seeming to hold a decisive edge over Michigan. Add in the ghost of Bob Knight, along with 17,472 extra of- ficials, and this one appeared lost. Then Indiana native Irvin dialed up 23 points, and the Wolverines stayed alive until Abdur-Rahkman's final baseline three-point shot banged off the rim as time expired. • At Illinois, L, 64-52, OT — This one might have been the toughest of all to take. Michigan's seven-point lead melted away through a pair of misfired inbounds plays and some clutch Illinois shots, all at the worst pos- sible time. In overtime, it was over quickly, and painfully, for a team that has seen this movie before. "Our defense was outstanding, ex- cept down the stretch," Beilein said. "I think that was for a lot of reasons. As hard as we work — and we're in great shape — for some of our younger and older guys, it's tough to sustain that energy without having that depth that you probably need in a game with this type of impact. "It's hard to lose, but I'm really proud of our team. They're playing as hard as they can play, and we were a few plays away from a great vic- tory, a road victory. It didn't happen, so we'll move on." A LOOK AHEAD Moving on, for many, carries with it the notion that the Wolverines Junior guard Spike Albercht "Every game is extremely important. But I don't really compare it to the past two years and my experiences. That would be unfair. Those are very different teams. There's definitely a sense of urgency among the players and the coaches as well."