No. 13 Michigan edges Northwestern 66-64 in OT

[January 12, 2012]  ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Trey Burke scored 19 points -- including Michigan's last eight of overtime -- to help the 13th-ranked Wolverines hold off Northwestern 66-64 on Wednesday night.

The Wildcats trailed 66-63 when Alex Marcotullio was fouled shooting a 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds remaining. He missed the first of his three free throws and after making the second, he had to intentionally miss the third. Northwestern (11-5, 1-3 Big Ten) was unable to tip in the rebound.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 19 points for Michigan (14-3, 4-1), but it was his foul that put Marcotullio on the line.

John Shurna had 21 points for Northwestern and Drew Crawford added 20.

After Burke's basket put the Wolverines ahead 60-58, officials called a contact technical foul on Michigan's Jordan Morgan with 2:11 remaining. But Northwestern couldn't take advantage. Crawford made only one of two free throws, and a miss by Dave Sobolewski gave the Wolverines the ball back.

The Wildcats had trouble rebounding all night. After a miss by Michigan's Stu Douglass, the ball went out of bounds back to the Wolverines. Burke made two free throws, then Sobolewski made two of his own with 57.9 seconds remaining.

With Northwestern in a 1-3-1 zone, Hardaway missed from the left wing, but the Wildcats again couldn't control the rebound, knocking it out of bounds with 37.3 seconds to play. Burke, a freshman, made two free throws, and Crawford dunked to cut the margin to one again.

Burke's two free throws with 6.5 seconds left made it 66-63. Hardaway then fouled Marcotullio in the right corner, but the Northwestern junior -- who had attempted only six free throws all season before Wednesday night -- couldn't tie it.

Down 44-36 in the second half, Michigan went on a 10-0 run to take the lead. Hardaway, Morgan and Burke made baskets to start the rally, then Zack Novak tied it with a layup and put the Wolverines ahead with a dunk. Northwestern coach Bill Carmody called three quick timeouts to try to stop the run. After the last one, his team committed a shot clock violation, forcing a media timeout.

After that break, the Wildcats finally gathered themselves, scoring six straight points to take a 50-46 advantage.

Hardaway tied it at 54 with a 3-pointer, and Northwestern committed a shot-clock violation with 2:03 remaining. Michigan didn't score, but the Wildcats were forced to settle for a tough shot by Shurna that missed, and Michigan took possession and called a timeout with 52.7 seconds remaining in regulation.

Hardaway had a defender beat on a backdoor cut along the baseline, but he appeared to have trouble controlling the ball and passed to Novak, who missed from the right corner.

Northwestern called a timeout with 23.5 seconds remaining and 16 on the shot clock. Hardaway was called for a non-shooting foul with 10.1 seconds left -- a call that had Michigan coach John Beilein several feet out on the floor to complain.

The Wolverines had two fouls to give and appeared to be trying to use one when Crawford drove the lane and was called for traveling. With 1.5 seconds to play, Michigan called another timeout, but Hardaway wasn't able to come up with Novak's long pass and the game went to overtime.

[Associated Press; By NOAH TRISTER]

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