Michigan’s 8-1 run to stay in the Big Ten title race had been hanging on by a thread for weeks. On Sunday afternoon, things finally started to crumble. The Wolverines competed with Illinois for a half, but watched the game unravel on their home floor en route to a humbling 20-point loss.
The team that wins all its close games suffered its worst home defeat of the year. The battle of two teams that haven’t made 3-point shots recently was won by the team that did, and the battle of a great rebounding team and a bad one was won by the great one.
Illinois spread the floor, bombed 3-point attempts, and relentlessly crashed the offensive glass. For 25 minutes, the perimeter shots didn’t fall and Michigan hung close. Eventually, the Illini got hot and hit five-of-seven attempts midway through the second half, turning a national showcase game into a laugher.
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