No. 3 Michigan held unbeaten Nebraska scoreless over the final three minutes and ended the game on a 6-0 run to win 75-72 in a Big Ten Conference game on Tuesday night in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The Wolverines (19-1, 9-1) trailed for more than 36 minutes but took the lead for good on a layup by Trey McKenney with 1:07 to go. The freshman was one of four in double figures for Michigan, with Morez Johnson’s 17 points and 12 rebounds leading the way.
Michigan shot 25% in the second half but got 14 of its 27 points from the foul line.
No. 5 Nebraska (20-1, 9-1) had its 24-game win streak, the longest in school history, come to an end despite 20 points each from Jamarques Lawrence and Pryce Sandfort. That duo combined for 30 points in the first half but were cold in the second half, when the Cornhuskers shot 32.3% and missed their final 11 3-point attempts.
Nebraska led 50-48 at the half thanks to 10 3-pointers, four each from Lawrence and Sandfort. Michigan had multiple chances to retake the lead to open the second but turned it over on four straight possessions, going almost six minutes without a field goal after shooting better than 65% in the first half.
The Cornhuskers couldn’t take advantage at first, starting 2 of 9 from the field in the second half before making three in a row with a layup from Cale Jacobsen extending the lead to 60-52 with 12:40 left.
Michigan got within 66-64 with 7:12 to go, and two Yaxel Lendeborg free throws made it a 1-point game with 3:36 remaining. The Wolverines tied it with 2:16 remaining and then took their first lead since 3-2 on McKenney’s layup.
Nebraska, which played without sixth-year senior Rienk Mast due to the flu, had two shots to tie it at the buzzer.
Three consecutive 3-pointers by Lawrence gave Nebraska a 31-20 lead midway through the first half. The Cornhuskers scored on nine consecutive possessions at one point.
Michigan made eight shots in a row to get back in it. A three-point play by Johnson cut the deficit to 38-33 and an Elliot Cadeu 3-pointer made it a three-point game with 4:19 left before halftime. Nimari Burnett then got the Wolverines within 44-42 on a three-point play with 2:59 to go in the half.
Sandfort then hit back-to-back 3s to get the lead back to eight.
