COLUMBUS, Ohio – In a practically empty Value City Arena, the clash between No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 Ohio State in February looked more like an intense NCAA tournament in March: good shots, 3 opportune points, fierce game underneath the edge, few mistakes and some late drama.
After six draws in the second half, Michigan moved away in the final minutes and then held Ohio State 92-87 on Sunday, in a meeting that showed two teams seeking first place in the ranking next month.
“It was like a boxing match,” said Michigan coach Juwan Howard. “One team dealt a blow. The other team dealt another blow. It went back and forth. Our guys showed their mental stamina in some of those ups and downs.”
The victory also underscored the importance of Michigan’s 7-foot freshman center, Hunter Dickinson, who was several inches long and had considerable reach over the great men of Ohio. He led the Wolverines with 22 points and nine rebounds, hitting all six of his free kicks.
“I thought its length and size were bothering us,” acknowledged Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann.
Michigan (16-1, 11-1 Big Ten) moved away and led by nine with 23 seconds remaining. But a pair of 3 points from Duane Washington Jr. around a tray by CJ Walker hit the Buckeyes in three points with 3 seconds to go.
Ohio State was forced to miss, and Eli Brooks hit his two free throws to seal Michigan’s fifth straight win, a streak that came around a three-week break due to problems with COVID-19.
Brooks had 17 points, Chaundee Brown Jr. came off the bench to score 15 and Isaiah Livers added 12 for Michigan, who broke Ohio State’s seven-game winning streak.
Washington had a career record of 30 points and went 5-to-10 to 3s for the Buckeyes (18-5, 12-5). EJ Liddell had 23 to go along with 10 rebounds.
“It was a great game, man,” said Washington. “Two top five teams, and I thought we competed at a really high level. We were in a good position to bring that home. Basketball is a racing game, and they had their races there at the end, and we just managed to be one little better in the final stretch. “
Both teams kicked 53% of the ground.