How Michigan’s defense flipped a switch when it mattered most

CHICAGO — There were only five minutes left when it felt like Ohio State, hot off a 5-0 run to establish its first lead of the game, could actually do it.

Buckeye forward Devin Royal drained a 3-pointer from atop the arc, center Christoph Tilly drew contact and converted the free throw, and there Ohio State was, up 62-60 on Michigan with 5:08 left, minutes from sending the Wolverines home early and dampening their vibes ahead of the NCAA Tournament.

The 35 minutes that had already transpired were far below Michigan’s standard: lackadaisical defense, missed shots bleeding over into missed assignments and an inability to pull away. And there were the Buckeyes, their most recent spurt of energy putting them on top for the first time all afternoon. The Wolverines hadn’t made a field goal for over six minutes.

But then junior guard Elliot Cadeau muscled through contact and made his way to the line, sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr. finally broke the drought with a fast-break score, and the under-4 media timeout afforded Michigan a crucial, late-game huddle.

“We knew that if we kept doing what we were doing during the game, we were gonna get back to Ann Arbor today,” junior center Aday Mara said postgame. “So we talked, we went to the huddle, and we said, ‘We have to change this. We gotta take it personal, and just be much better these last four minutes.’ ”

From that moment on, Ohio State went 1-for-6 from the field. The Buckeyes had traded punches with Michigan all game, and they couldn’t land one in the clutch.

Johnson, one of the Wolverines’ key defensive anchors, attributed the shift in Michigan’s defense to a return to fundamental basketball.

“I feel like the first half, we were making a lot of scouting mistakes, and then we put our heads down and (were) worrying about the mistakes, and that caused another mistake,” Johnson said. “… Especially those last five to seven minutes, we were just worried about playing basketball and knowing our teammates had our back. … (We were) doing what we’re used to.”