Bryan Fuller/MGoBlog
For a distressingly long time, it appeared Jim Harbaugh's homecoming day would be slightly tarnished by another basketball loss. Then an unlikely hero emerged.
Aubrey Dawkins—a freshman from Palo Alto, because it's a day for poetry—came into today's game with 15 points on the season. He'd made just two of his 11 three-point attempts. But Michigan could not lose today, and Dawkins made sure of it, leading all scorers with 20 points and drilling six of seven triples. His final three was a dagger, giving the Wolverines a four-point lead with under two minutes left in overtime.
It looked remarkably unlikely that Michigan would even make it that far. After a listless first half that ended with a boneheaded foul to allow Illinois a three-point play, the Wolverines fell behind by as many as 13 in the second half. Then the offense found life. Dawkins sunk shot after shot. A previously stone cold Zak Irvin hit back-to-back threes to halve the Illini lead. Caris LeVert and Ricky Doyle worked the pick-and-roll with an effectiveness unseen so far this season.
Consecutive buckets by Doyle gave Michigan their first lead since the early going with just 1:13 to play, but Illinois' Malcolm Hill—who finished with a team-high 19—grabbed it right back with a pair of free throws. Doyle drew a foul on the next possession and split his pair, giving the Illini a chance to win it with the shot clock turned off. Rayvonte Rice bricked a contested 20-footer and Zak Irvin's miracle heave attempt was just a bit long, and the teams headed to overtime.
From there, Michigan's momentum continued. Dawkins and Irvin combined for ten of Michigan's 14 overtime points, with LeVert providing critical support with a pivoting pull-up in the final minute. Illinois struggled to crack a 2-3 zone that the Wolverines increasingly went to as the game wore on. In front of a raucous, capacity Crisler Crowd, M was able to run the clock out without too much stress.
The much-needed victory capped off a banner day for Michigan fans, who were treated to a brief halftime speech from Jim Harbaugh. The ovation for Harbaugh was as loud as Crisler has been this season.
That didn't last long, however. Dawkins caught fire, Crisler rocked, and the faithful who paid a pretty penny to see Harbaugh's first public appearance went home happy.