The third-ranked and top-seeded University of Michigan men's basketball team defeated eighth-seeded Ohio State, 71-67, in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday afternoon (March 13) at the United Center.

Michigan led throughout the first half, but Ohio State erased the deficit in the second half and briefly took the lead for 54 seconds of game time. The Wolverines responded late, forcing Ohio State to miss eight of its final nine field-goal attempts over the closing minutes.

Leaders and Best

Aday Mara led Michigan with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and two blocks. Elliot Cadeau added 15 points, including eight free throws, and dished out seven assists. Trey McKenney contributed 12 points off the bench with two three-pointers and four rebounds. Morez Johnson Jr. rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 points and seven rebounds.

Turning Point

Trailing by two, Cadeau knocked down a pair of free throws with 4:46 remaining to tie the game. On the ensuing possession, Mara blocked an Ohio State attempt after the Buckeyes grabbed an offensive rebound, giving the Wolverines the ball back.

Johnson then converted a driving layup in transition to give Michigan a two-point lead heading into the under-four media timeout. The basket snapped a Michigan scoring drought and sparked a stretch where Ohio State missed seven consecutive field goals.

Second Half

Ohio State (21-12, 12-8 B1G) opened the half with four straight field goals to tie the game at 44 with 17:22 remaining. Neither team scored for the next four minutes, combining for seven missed shots before Cadeau ended the drought with a drive to the rim at the 14:34 mark. He followed a minute later by tossing an alley-oop to Mara for a layup through contact.

Michigan pushed its advantage back to three possessions during a quick 7-0 run midway through the half, but Ohio State answered with eight points in three possessions to trim the deficit to three at the under-12 media timeout.

The Buckeyes took their first lead of the game on a three-pointer with 5:40 remaining, capitalizing on a six-minute Michigan field goal drought. Johnson ended the skid moments later when a driving attempt was ruled a goaltending violation, putting Michigan back in front.

Ohio State remained within striking distance late and pulled within two points after a basket with six seconds remaining, but Lendeborg sealed the win at the free-throw line, knocking down two free throws for the final margin.

First Half

Michigan controlled the opening tip and struck first when Johnson scored on a layup. He added a turnaround jumper moments later, and Nimari Burnett followed with a three-pointer from the left wing to give the Wolverines a 7-0 lead just 80 seconds into the game.

Michigan extended the advantage to 10-5 before the first media timeout after another Johnson layup. After the break, Lendeborg forced a steal that led to a McKenney three-pointer. McKenney later added another triple from the top of the key and a one-handed jumper in the paint to help maintain the lead.

Burnett ended a brief scoring drought with a dunk before Cadeau connected from deep to push the lead to double digits with 8:36 remaining in the half. Cadeau added a layup and Lendeborg finished a dunk during a stretch of four consecutive Michigan field goals, extending the lead to 11 with 6:25 to play.

Ohio State responded with a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to four, but Mara capped a fast break with a lob finish in the closing seconds. Michigan took a 39-35 lead into halftime.

What's Next

The Wolverines advance to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals and will face the winner of No. 4 Illinois and No. 5 Nebraska on Saturday afternoon (March 14) at noon C.T. at the United Center. The game will be televised on BTN.