Led by Trey Burke's 19 points, No. 13 Michigan won at Penn State 71-65, surviving a late rally from the Nittany Lions. With victory in hand, the Wolverines are now in the uncomfortable position of cheering for their arch-rivals from the south: if No. 11 Ohio State can upset No. 5 Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich., the Wolverines, Buckeyes and Spartans will finish in a three-way tie for the Big Ten's regular-season crown.
No. 13 Michigan Vs. Penn State: Wolverines Win To Keep Big Ten Title Dream Alive
Michigan led by as many 19 with 9:05 left in the game, but Penn State battled back over the next eight minutes to make it a four-point game with 69 seconds left. That’s as close as they could come to an upset, though, as the Wolverines made four of five free throws once Penn State resorted to fouling to stop the clock.
Jermaine Marshall scored 27 points while playing all 40 minutes for Penn State. Ross Travis (15 points) and Tim Frazier (11 points) were the only two other players to score in double digits. Marshall also finished with eight rebounds, while Travis accounted for five of Penn State's eight assists in the game.
For Michigan, Evan Smotrycz scored 17 points off the bench, hitting 3 of 4 three-point attempts. Tim Hardaway, Jr. added 13 while Zack Novak scored 11 before fouling out in 26 minutes.
For more on this game, visit Michigan blog Maize n Brew, SB Nation Detroit, Penn St. blog Black Shoe Diaries and SB Nation Pittsburgh.
See More:
