Michigan fell to Maryland, 71-65, on Wednesday night, and dropped back-to-back games for the first time since December. In weeks, the Wolverines have seen their Big Ten title hopes evaporate as quickly as their confidence.
They scored a season-low 22 points in the first half, clawed their way back in the second half, then threw the game away late with frustrating turnovers. It was a second consecutive home loss, another home defeat that wasn’t that competitive, with the Wolverines trailing for over 30 minutes.
The reality is that the Big Ten title race ate this team up. Playing five games over the last fifteen days amid a title race was too much for a group that was never actually playing well enough on a per-possession basis to win a Big Ten title.
The Big Ten schedule got the best of 17 out of the 18 teams in the league. Michigan State outlasted it and that’s why the Spartans will raise a banner on Sunday.
The combination of Michigan’s back-loaded conference schedule and streak of close wins early in the season makes the result more frustrating than if the wins and losses had been scattered in some slightly different order.
This was the point in the schedule for Michigan to take its medicine. The Wolverines haven’t had more than two days off between games since February 21st, and eight of the last nine contests were Q1. The opportunity was there, Michigan couldn’t get over the hump. (Yes, the Wolverines still have a chance to play for a share of the title if Michigan State loses to Iowa on Thursday.)
If you want to look back on the Big Ten race, Michigan didn’t lose it in these last two games, but with the home loss to Michigan State. That was the game the Wolverines needed, and they haven’t been able to find themselves since.
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