‘Big time players make big time plays’: Tre Donaldson reacts to game-winning layup in Big Ten Tournament

It was a back-and-forth affair, but when the Michigan Wolverines needed one more bucket to advance to the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game, Tre Donaldson came up clutch:

It was a back-and-forth affair, but when the Michigan Wolverines needed one more bucket to advance to the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game, point guard Tre Donaldson came up clutch.

Michigan trailed 80-79 with just 5.3 seconds left when Donaldson inbounded the ball to Vlad Goldin, who quickly flipped it back to Donaldson. As the seconds ticked away, Donaldson sprinted down the court. He flew past multiple defenders, took off just inside the free throw line and laid the ball off the glass with less than a second remaining to push Michigan to the Big Ten title game.

“Big time players make big time plays in big time games. That’s something to live by,” Donaldson said after the win. “I have the confidence and I didn’t want it to slip out of our hands. The desperation to win kicked in.”

It appeared the Wolverines were going to suffer a heartbreaking loss after leading by as many as 15 points. But then Donaldson stepped up in the final minute to cap off an unforgettable finish. He scored 12 points, including five in the final 28 seconds, highlighted by the game-winning layup.

Donaldson said in the postgame press conference that the play was set up for not only himself to score, but for him to potentially give it up to one of his teammates if he didn’t have a lane to the rim.

“Yes (I could have given up the ball),” Donaldson said. “The play was either make a play for myself or make it for my teammates, and when I got down there, they took away my teammates so it’s about me making a play for the team.”

Donaldson also reflected on his first ever game-winner, which took place in middle school.

“My first game-winner — I was in sixth grade. It was my sixth grade summer going into my seventh grade. I was playing up with the seventh (grade) teams. We were playing one of the best teams and I hit a full-court behind-the-back (shot). And we ended up winning it, so that was a big one. This is something a kid dreams of his whole life. Playing Division I basketball at a school like Michigan, the legacy it has, and being able to make a shot like that, that’s unreal. All glory goes to God.”

Head coach Dusty May reflected on the play call that led to Donaldson’s game-winner. May said the plan was to let Donaldson try to get a head of steam and make a play, which is exactly what transpired.

“He had a running start and he was a big time football recruit, so he’s able to get downhill by using his speed and athleticism,” May said. “Tre made a great change of direction move, got past the guy and finished at the rim. Just a great play by him and a good heads up play by Vlad. Vlad had a clean catch, tossed it right back so Tre had a head of steam. That’s really all we were trying to do. Just put it in Tre’s hands with a head of steam and a couple options, and he made a play.”

Danny Wolf missed a free throw in the final minute that allowed Maryland to take a one-point lead. Following the win, Wolf said Donaldson came up to him after the free throw and assured he would “take care of it.”

“He came up to me after I missed that free throw and he said he was going to take care of it, and he did more than that,” Wolf said. “I was just trying to get out of the way and let him get a clear head of steam downhill.”

Donaldson and the Wolverines will look to keep the momentum going from the last-second win against the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.