Williams Lifts Indiana Over Michigan 70-67
By JIM JOHNSON/Associated Press
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - Troy Williams had 20 points and eight rebounds to lead the Indiana Hoosiers to a 70-67 victory over the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday.
Yogi Ferrell had 18 points and six assists, and James Blackmon, Jr. added 13 for the Hoosiers (17-7, 7-4 Big Ten), who have won two of three games.
Zak Irvin had 23 points and Ricky Doyle finished with 15 points and six rebounds for the Wolverines (13-11, 6-6), who have lost three straight.
Spike Albrecht converted a 3-point play with 1:18 remaining to put the Wolverines within three, 65-62, and the Hoosiers did just enough to keep the lead.
Ferrell tossed a pass to Williams, whose dunk put the Hoosiers ahead 69-64, but Irvin answered with a 3-pointer to make it 69-67 with 18.9 seconds left.
Collin Hartman scored a free throw before Michigan missed a game-tying shot just before the buzzer.
After Aubrey Dawkins scored to get the Wolverines within three, 36-33, to start the second half, Indiana went on an 8-0 run early to jump out to an 11-point lead.
Hartman scored a 3-pointer to put the Hoosiers ahead 39-33 with 18:51 remaining to spark the run. Williams scored two free throws to extend the lead and Robert Johnson made a 3-pointer to give the Hoosiers a 44-33 lead with 17:42 remaining.
But the Wolverines kept finding ways to cut the deficit.
Irvin scored twice, including a 3-pointer, to get Michigan back within six but Indiana extended the lead again when Williams scored on a put-back dunk and Nick Zeisloft made a 3-pointer to make it 51-40 midway through the half.
Irvin, Dawkins, and Doyle scored baskets to get back within five, 51-46, before Williams scored on a one-handed dunk and the Hoosiers held on down the stretch.
The Wolverines went on a 7-2 run late in the first half and got within three points when Albrecht made a pair of free throws to make it 24-21 with 3:42 remaining in the opening half.
But then Ferrell drove to the basket and made two free throws before Blackmon hit a 3-pointer to give the Hoosiers a 31-23 lead with 2:06 left in the first half.
Doyle and Muhammed-Ali Abdur Rahkman scored to cut the lead again, but Ferrell scored a 3-pointer and Hartman made a lay-up to give the Hoosiers a 36-29 halftime lead.
TIP-INS
Michigan: Derrick Walton, Jr. missed his fourth straight game because of a left toe sprained in a game against Villanova on Nov. 25. The guard sat the bench, along with Caris LaVert, who is out or the remainder of the season after he had surgery on his left foot last month.
Indiana: The Hoosiers had several plays that gave them a momentum swing. One play in the first half didn't come through, though. At the 12:18 Mark Ferrell started a drive to the basket, and made a short pass to Williams, who made a one-handed dunk. But Ferrell was called for charging and Williams' dunk didn't count.
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