The Michigan Daily I michigandaily.com I February11 2013

On a 40-foot prayer,
Wisconsin forces overtime and
shocks Michigan in Madison

'HOUSE
OF
HO
"SR

By EVERETT COOK
Daily Sports Editor
MADISON - The game was destined to be played
at a slow pace, not decided by a 40-foot desperation
heave. It was Wisconsin after all, the team known
for using the shot clock more than any other in the
Big Ten, and it was the Kohl Center, where the refer-
ees are known for letting teams play. Plus, the Michi-
gan basketball team has struggled to come out with
energy in its road contests, and the 11 a.m. central
time start wouldn't help. MICHIGAN 73
Even with sophomore point INDIANA 81
guard Trey Burke willing No.
3 Michigan to push the ball,
freshman forward Mitch McGary shooting rarely
seen transition jumpers, and rarely-used redshirt
freshman forward Max Bielfeldt registering a career
high in minutes, the Wolverines couldn't pull it out.
It took a desperation 40-foot shot from Wisconsin,
but Michigan fell, 65-62, on the road, in a game that
would've likely put it back as the No. 1 overall team
in the country.
Wisconsin (8-3 Big Ten, 17-7 overall) has an offen-

sive style that relies on the predictable, but a crazy,
unpredictable last minute of the game was needed
to keep the Wolverines (8-3, 21-3) from getting back
to No.1.
With just over a minute remaining in the game,
Burke made a pull-up jumper around the free-throw
line to put the Wolverines up three. On the other
end, the sophomore tried to take a change to seal the
game, but was called for a blocking foul on a mon-
ster dunk from Wisconsin forward Jared Berggren.
It looked like a charge should have been called on
Berggren, but regardless, he made the free throw to
finish the three-pointplay and tie the game.
"It was a greatdunk," Burke said. "I thought I was
outside the charge area, but sometimes you don't get
those calls. I think that gave them a lot of momen-
tum."
Michigan got the last possession, and it looked
like it would again be Burke to try the game-winner,
as it has been most times this season.
But he passed it off to forward Tim Hardaway Jr.,
who was heavily guarded and couldn't get a clean
look. The junior was still able to sinka deep 3-point-
er with 2.4 seconds left to seemingly win the game
for Michigan, even though Wisconsin coach Bo
Ryan said after the game that Hardaway was prob-
ably fouled on the play.
The Badgers immediately called timeout, and
got the ball back with just enough time to force
See BUCKY, Page 3B

The implications o a

hal-cou
MADISON -
There are desperation buzzer-beating
shots, and then there are shots like the
one Wisconsin guard Ben Brust hit on
Saturday to tie the game at the end of regulation
against No. 3 Michigan.
Down three points, the junior had just over
two seconds and the full length of the court go,
down three points. The Wolverines had a foul to
give, so Michigan coach John Beilein instructed
his players to foul. A perfect inbound pass to
Brust left Wolverine fresh-
man guard Caris
LeVert out of posi-
tion to do that.
LeVert
didn't foul.

rt heave
He couldn't have, not without giving Brust a
chance to tie the game by shooting free throws.
It was smarter to contest a running 40-foot
shot. So, on the right side of the court, opposite
the Wisconsin bench, LeVert got in front of the
charging Brust and threw his hands up.
The shot was released from below Brust's hip,
needing a full windup to heave
the ball more than one-third
of the length of the court. It
didn't touch the backboard,
and barely nicked the rim,
but the sound that blasted out
of Wisconsin's Kohl Center
after it went through the net
could've blown the roof off the
building. EVERETT
There was an overtime, COOK
sure, but the Wolverines were
understandably deflated, scor-
ing just two points in the extra frame. The game
ended when Brust hit that prayer of a shot, more
or less.
Call it luck, call it fortune, call it whatev-
er you want - it was a near-impossible
shot that doesn't go in more often
than not.
And that's what's funny
about college basketball,
because just like that,
a desperation heave
completely
changed the
rest of the
season for
Michigan.
Satur-
day wasn't
the best
game Michigan has played this year, not
even close. The Wolverines couldn't shoot, fin-
ishing the game under 40 percent from the floor
and well under 30 percent from three. They
couldn't get to the line, shootinga grand total
of two from the charity stripe on the day, par-
tially because of referees and partially because
nobody besides Burke was driving as much as
usual.
They didn't get contributions from the
majority of the starting lineup. Redshirt
freshman forward Jon Horford, freshman
guard Nik Stauskas and freshman forward
Glenn Robinson combined for 11 points - one
point less than the sixth man, freshman for-
ward Mitch McGary. Burke and junior guard
Tim Hardaway Jr. - the two starters that scored
in double digits - scored a combined 37 points,
more than three times the combined total of the
other three starters.
See HEAVE, Page 3B

4

TODD NEEDLE/Daily


BACK TO BALL
U The Michigan softball team started its
season winning three of four games in
Florida. Freshman shortstop Sierra Rome-
ro knocked two home runs. Page 4B

A NEWLOWI
* The Michigan hockey team guaranteed
its first losing regular season since Michigan
coach Red Berenson's third season.
Stephen J. Nesbitt has the obituary. Page 2B