Michigan Basketball: 3 takeaways from narrow escape of Northwestern

The Wolverines nearly gave away a valuable win that would have cost them all their mojo that they have been building up over the past week.

Down seven with five minutes left Michigan basketball was in deep trouble until the Wolverines found a will to overcome Northwestern for their 10th victory of the season.

Hunter Dickinson and Moussa Diabate fouled out with two minutes to go, leaving reserve Terrance Williams to step up and drill a 3-pointer to take back the lead.

A couple of possessions later rarely-used Jaron Fields found Caleb Houstan in the corner for another timely three, giving way to DeVante’ Jones who salted it away at the line for Michigan basketball to hold on for a two-point triumph.

Here are the three takeaways.

1. It was a total foul-fest thanks to the refs

There was a combined 46 personal fouls called on the night. Northwestern had 22, while Michigan was whistled for 24.

Both clubs went to the line 26 times and the Wildcats made 16, Michigan hit 18, which turned out to be the two-point differential in the final score.

Robbie Beran used up all of his fouls for the Cats. Chase Audige and Ryan Young just about did the same as they both committed four apiece. Boo Buie and Elyjah Williams each had three. Pete Nance went to the charity stripe 12 times alone. Northwestern got the last shot but did not connect as time ran out on them.

For Michigan basketball, Dickinson went out first, followed by Diabate, within seconds of each other. Luckily U-M had rallied to tie it at that point and that’s when their other teammates made a pair of threes to overtake Northwestern once and for all.

DeVante’ Jones, Terrance Williams, and Frankie Collins were also adding up the personals, but they remained eligible as time elapsed.