'Can't rain forever': Michigan withstands Ohio State rally, halts 5-game losing skid

Ann Arbor — The Wolverines needed something, anything, to help them snap out of their funk.

A rivalry game against Ohio State and a long-awaited Fab Five reunion provided the elixir they needed.

With Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson sitting courtside together and cheering on the Wolverines for the first time during coach Juwan Howard’s tenure, Michigan put the brakes on a five-game skid with a 73-65 win in Monday’s matinee matchup at Crisler Center.

BOX SCORE: Michigan 73, Ohio State 65

“We played together. I think we were all on a string today and we haven't been in the past couple of games,” said senior forward Terrance Williams II, who scored 18 and hit a dagger 3-pointer in the final minute.

“I feel like that's what got us to the finish line today — being on a string, playing together and actually defending and rebounding.”

Grad transfer forward Olivier Nkamhoua led the way with 20 points and sophomore guard Dug McDaniel scored 15 for Michigan (7-10, 2-4 Big Ten), which closed the game on an 18-6 run after blowing a 12-point second-half lead.

For the third straight game, Michigan went up by double digits in the first half and led at halftime. But just like the past two contests against Penn State and Maryland, the Wolverines coughed up the lead.

This time, everything went sideways after McDaniel and Williams drained back-to-back 3-pointers during an 8-0 spurt that put Michigan ahead, 55-43, and seemingly in control with 11:46 to play in the second half.

The Buckeyes (12-5, 2-4) charged back and erased the deficit with a 16-0 flurry during a brutal stretch where the Wolverines were pummeled in the paint and missed eight straight shots. Bruce Thornton keyed the run with eight points, including a 3-pointer that capped it and gave Ohio State a 59-55 advantage with 7:58 remaining.

Unlike the past two games, Michigan recovered and finished strong. Nkamhoua stopped the bleeding and snapped a five-minute scoring drought with mid-range jumper to start the game-sealing run. Williams gave the Wolverines the lead for good, 63-61, with a 3-pointer at the 3:37 mark

“We just had to sustain it and finish it out,” Williams said. “We couldn't just give up because they made their run. We knew that was going to happen. This time around, we didn't put our heads down. We just stayed connected, stayed together and we pulled it out.”

The Wolverines got over the hump and held off the Buckeyes to close the game out. Williams provided the finishing touches and capped his 5-for-5 day from beyond the arc with a 3-pointer with 33 ticks to go.

“We took so many losses and gave up so many leads, but it can't rain forever,” Williams said. “We got through it today.”

Thornton finished with 19 points, Roddy Gayle Jr. scored 12 and Felix Okpara added 10 for Ohio State, which has lost 12 consecutive true road games dating back to last season.

While Ohio State won the battle in the paint (32-22), Michigan decisively won the battle from 3-point range. The Wolverines shot 12-for-23 from deep and the Buckeyes finished 3-for-25.

Michigan shot it well from range from the start. Despite missing 11 of its first 15 shots, Michigan hit three early 3-pointers to stay close, with deep balls from redshirt sophomore forward Will Tschetter and Nkamhoua knotting it at 13 with 11:41 left in the first half.

The Wolverines started to find a rhythm as Nkamhoua kick-started a 16-4 burst. After scoring back-to-back buckets, Nkamhoua threw a perfect entry feed into Tschetter for an easy basket at the rim during a string of eight unanswered points.

Nkamhoua then followed a long-range shot by Williams with one of his own to cap the spurt and put the Wolverines up, 29-19, at the 5:28 mark.

Another deep ball — this time a buzzer-beater by McDaniel — gave Michigan a 37-28 lead at halftime before a familiar story with a better ending unfolded in the second half.

“It’s definitely a good feeling to get on the other side of the win column,” Nkamhoua said. “But the thing that was best for me is we felt connected. On defense and offense, we felt like we had each other’s backs.

“We didn’t have those moments of our heads dropping and us feeling pressure because they made a run. They made that 16-0 run (in the second half), but we kept playing, we weathered the storm, and we were able to come out on the other side.”

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

@jamesbhawkins