The Northwestern Wildcats were defeated 66-64 by the No. 13 Michigan Wolverines in a stunning overtime battle in Ann Arbor. Northwestern had a chance to tie the game up with less than a second left when guard Alex Marcotuillo was fouled from three-point range, but he missed the first free throw attempt and the Wildcats' last gasp try to tip in a final shot failed.
The Wildcats played great defensively during the game, limiting the Wolverines to just 33 percent shooting from the field. Michigan didn't turn the ball over often, just seven times during the entire game, but it had a hard time getting high-quality looks against the Northwestern defense. Making shots from the free throw line, 15 of 16 overall, really helped Michigan.
Turnovers were an issue for Northwestern, though, as they lost possession 15 times during the game. Even though the Wildcats shot much better from the field, exactly 50 percent, those wasted possessions proved to be critical in a close game on the road against a ranked opponent.
Northwestern forwards John Shurna and Drew Crawford played well, which explains why the Wildcats played such a competitive game. Shurna led all scorers with 21 points in addition to grabbing six rebounds, while Crawford added 20 points and six rebounds of his own. Michigan had its starting backcourt lead the way, as Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting and grabbed six rebounds, while Trey Burke scored 19 points, nabbed seven rebounds and dished seven assists.
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