Michigan
Ohio State rallies, but Michigan holds on to extend Buckeyes’ losing streak
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – It was fair to question which team needed Monday’s game more. Michigan, which had lost five straight in a season that has looked increasingly lost, or Ohio State, losers of two straight and teetering on the verge of reverting to last year’s lost season.
Both sides have compelling arguments, but just one has a potentially season-altering win now in its pocket. And given where the game was played, and what the Buckeyes have done for the last year, that would be the Wolverines who turned their rival’s misery into their joy – at least for one day.
Inside a roughly half full Crisler Center, Ohio State (12-5, 2-4 Big Ten) rallied late, held a lead with four minutes to play but again came up short, 73-65, to a Michigan (7-10, 2-4) team that had not won since Dec. 16.
The Buckeyes have now lost three straight, their seventh losing streak of at least that many games during coach Chris Holtmann’s tenure. They have now lost 12 straight road games dating back to a New Year’s Day win at Northwestern last season. Most critically, they might have lost their grip on a season that entered 2024 with promise.
Down nine points at halftime, Ohio State traded buckets for the first half of the second half and trailed by a game-high 12 points with about 12 minutes to play against a Michigan team that held halftime leads in each of its last two losses. The Buckeyes, seemingly dead in the water, put together a game-changing, 16-0 run that pushed them to a 59-55 lead with 7:21 to play.
But when Dale Bonner missed at the rim and Olivia Nkamhoua hit a jumper to cut the deficit to two, Michigan started to land its counterpunch. Nimari Burnett buried a deep 3-pointer from the left wing to reclaim the lead, setting the stage for a tense final five minutes.
Terrance Williams III put the Wolverines ahead for good with 3:37 to play with a 3-pointer from straight-on that hit every part of the rim and part of the backboard before falling through. It gave Michigan a 63-61 lead and was the start of a 7-0 Michigan run that was too much for the Buckeyes to overcome.
Ohio State went 3 for 24 (12.5%) from 3 in the loss. Michigan was 12 for 23 (52.2%).
After rolling ankles in practice during the week, Ohio State’s Roddy Gayle Jr. and Scotty Middleton were both listed as questionable on the pregame availability report but both played.
Trailing by a game-high 10 points with five minutes left in the first half, Ohio State cut it to 32-28 on a three-point play from Devin Royal off an offensive putback off of a Taison Chatman 3-point miss. And when McDaniel missed on a drive, the Buckeyes had a chance to pull even closer. Instead, Middleton missed a 3-pointer and Michigan capitalized when Tarris Reed backed down Royal and scored in the paint to push it back to a six-point lead.
Ohio State Buckeyes: Join the Ohio State Sports Insider text group with Bill Rabinowitz, Joey Kaufman Adam Jardy
Middleton again missed from the left corner, this one an airball that went long, and Ohio State fouled twice in the final six seconds to try and disrupt Michigan’s defensive plans. It didn’t matter: McDaniel took an inbounds pass from the right sideline in the backcourt and swished a straight-on 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded.
It was five points in 48 seconds for the Wolverines, who took a 37-28 lead into the break. After shooting 32.3% from 3-pont range in Big Ten play entering the game, Michigan hit 7 of their 11 first-half attempts as four different players made at least one. Ohio State, which had been shooting 39.3% from 3 against conference foes, made just 1 of its 14 attempts at the break.
That lone make was from Thornton, who had five attempts and tied for the team-lead with seven first-half points. Royal, who had not scored in Big Ten play entering the game, also had seven at the break.
ajardy@dispatch.com
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Michigan
REPORT: Michigan Football’s Colston Loveland exits game vs. Northwestern, will not return
Michigan added to its lead late in the first half when quarterback Davis Warren found tight end Colston Loveland in the end zone for a touchdown in eight seconds remaining until halftime.
However, according to a report from from Jason Avant on Michigan Sports Network, Loveland did not come back out of the tunnel for the second half and is not expected to return in this game for the Wolverines.
No other details have been released regarding Loveland’s absence in the second half. The tight end had three receptions for 22 yards with the touchdown in the first 30 minutes. With his first catch today against the Wildcats, Loveland set a new Michigan tight end record with 54 receptions in a single season.
Michigan Wolverines On SI will have more on this developing story as more information is released.
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Michigan
Ryan Walters Emotional in Postgame Presser Following Purdue’s Loss to Michigan State
Ryan Walters cleared his throat and took a long pause before answering a question after Purdue’s 24-17 loss to Michigan State on Friday night. The second-year coach was clearly emotional after the Boilermakers fell to 1-10, letting another opportunity slip through their fingers.
Following another disappointing outcome at Spartan Stadium, Walters was asked why it was more difficult to keep his emotions in check on Friday night.
After taking a few seconds to collect his thoughts, Walters answered the question.
“I don’t know a locker room in the country that would be 1-9, going down like we went down in the first half and continue to fight,” he said. “There’s no finger-pointing. They’ve still been practicing their tails off. They’ve still been showing up and going to work every day.
“If you have kids — I don’t know if you have any kids — when your kids work hard, you want them to have success. They’re working hard, man. It hurts.”
Purdue dug itself into a hole early, trailing Michigan State 24-3 at halftime. It looked like the Spartans were going to cruise to a victory and that the Boilermakers were going to roll over and play dead.
Instead, Purdue came out of halftime showing serious fight. They scratched and clawed their way back into the game, cutting the lead to 24-17 with 13:54 remaining in the game.
“Going into halftime, it felt like the game was getting away from us and the guys in the locker room, it just didn’t seem like they flinched,” Walters said.
Purdue had three more opportunities to tie the game, but failed to take advantage. Numerous dropped passes, a struggling rushing attack and an interception proved too costly in the last three possessions.
It marked the third time this season Purdue had found itself with a chance to get its first Big Ten win but came up short. The Boilermakers also dropped overtime contests to Northwestern and Illinois.
Now, there’s just one game remaining on the schedule: at No. 5 Indiana. Purdue is 1-10 and remains winless in Big Ten play. As much as the blowout losses have stung, night’s like Friday have been even more difficult to handle for Walters and the Boilers.
They’ve come close multiple times this year, but haven’t been able to clear the hurdle.
PURDUE ATTENDANCE AT 20-YEAR HIGH: Despite Purdue’s struggles on the field this season, fans still flocked to Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturdays to watch Boilermaker football. CLICK HERE
Michigan
WATCH: Everything Michigan State’s Jonathan Smith Said After Spartans’ Victory Over Purdue
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State finally picked up a win, its first one since Week 8 when it defeated Iowa at home.
While it may seem like the Spartans’ season has been on a decline, even with this win, Michigan State is still just a win away from earning a trip to a bowl game.
Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith discussed Friday’s win when he addressed the media after the game.
You can watch below:
Below is a transcript from Smith’s opening statement:
Smith: “OK, well, obviously pleased to find a way to win a game. Kind of a tale of two halves; all of you that watched it offensively, defensively, first half, really pleased. I think we had four possessions in the first half. Had points on all four of them. Ended the ended the half with some points; we were feeling good there, but then it totally flipped in the second half. Credit to Purdue, whether it’s adjustments, things like that, but those guys battled for four quarters. And credit some to our defense, too. Early second half, we had gave up a couple of scores there but found a way [in the] fourth quarter to tighten things down, and to give up 17 points and have two turnovers defensively, that’s a solid effort. Offensively, again we got to play for four quarters. And we want to do that better. But found a way to win a game, got another open game with a lot to play for next week.”
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