COLUMBUS - Even though the ball bounced the right way for a change, it didn't have enough spring to get the Michigan men's basketball team into the Big Dance.
The Wolverines (9-9 Big Ten, 19-11 overall) came back from a 12-point deficit to beat Ohio State, 86-81, in overtime yesterday, thanks to late-game heroics from their three guards and their big man in the middle.
Sophomore center Robert Traylor scored nine points in a Michigan run that tied the game at 67 after the Wolverines trailed, 53-44, with just under 11 minutes remaining in regulation in front of 12,570 at St. John Arena.
Traylor grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back in to tie the game with 2:46 to play. The bucket broke Traylor's career-high of 19 points, and he finished the contest with 22.
But Ohio State (5-13, 10-17) did not let the Wolverines' momentum propel them into the lead.
Sophomore guard Neshaun Coleman nailed a 3-pointer with 42 seconds left to give the Buckeyes a 72-69 lead. When Michigan guard Louis Bullock missed a hurried trey on the Wolverines' next trip downcourt, Traylor was forced to foul Ohio State guard Otis Winston. Winston sank both free throws to put the Buckeyes up, 74-69, with 30.5 seconds remaining, and Michigan's run seemed to have come to an end.
But after junior guard Brandun Hughes' driving layup cut the deficit to three with 19.4 seconds left, Bullock and junior forward Maceo Baston forced a turnover, which resulted in a held ball.
The possession arrow was in Michigan's favor, giving the Wolverines one last shot.
And that opportunity fell to Bullock, who had been mired in somewhat of a late-season slump. With just over eight ticks on the clock, Bullock nailed his only three of the game - in seven attempts - to tie matters at 74 and send the game into overtime.
The Buckeyes grabbed a 79-77 lead with 1:10 left in the extra frame, after sophomore forward Shaun Stonerook hit one of two free throws.
But Traylor - with a season free-throw percentage of 44.9 - tossed one in from the stripe to knot the score at 79.
On the inbounds play, junior guard Travis Conlan and Hughes double-teamed Ohio State guard Damon Stringer, forcing another Buckeye turnover.
Conlan came up with the loose ball and pushed it ahead to Hughes for a driving layup from the left side. Stringer fouled Hughes in the act, putting Hughes on the line with 11.2 seconds remaining and Michigan clinging to an 81-79 lead.
Hughes then coolly nailed the free throw to put the lead at three.
Hughes then put Stringer on the line with 5.9 seconds to play, and the sophomore hit both free throws. But it wasn't enough for the Buckeyes, and Conlan hit two free throws to put the Wolverines up, 84-81, with 3.4 seconds remaining.
Ohio State tried a full-court pass on the inbounds play, but it went long and out of bounds, giving the ball back to Michigan. Winston fouled Bullock, whose two successful attempts from the line iced the game and provided the final 86-81 margin.
The Wolverines ended the regular season with two-consecutive victories, the first time they had accomplished the feat since late January. The streak came on the heals of five straight losses, however, and Michigan did not get the reward it had been hoping for, and invitation to the NCAA tournament.
Instead, the Wolverines will play in the NIT, which begins Thursday when 16-12 Miami (Fla.) visits Crisler Arena.
Still, the victory was a relief for Michigan, which has lost a number of close games over the course of the season.
"We fought hard, and we finally found a way to win it," Baston said. "We kept our heart and our intensity, and the breaks came our way."
Hughes was also savoring the feeling of winning a close one.
"It feels great, because we've played this hard all the time, and things didn't ever seem to bounce the right way," he said.
"Finally it bounced our way."
SARA STILLMAN/Daily
Brandun Hughes finished with 16 points, helping lead the Wolverines past Ohio State in overtime, 86-81, yesterday. But the win was not enough to earn the Wolverines a bid to the NCAA tournament.