Michigan beats Ohio State to halt losing streak

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan, a team ravaged by injuries and one that appeared to be in freefall after losing five straight games, rode an explosive start to a 64-57 Big Ten victory over 24th-ranked Ohio State on Sunday.

Michigan (14-13, 7-8 Big Ten) was led by guard Spike Albrecht with 16 points, and his 3-pointer from the wing with less than seven minutes gone in the game gave Michigan a 15-6 advantage.

The Wolverines also got 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists from guard Zak Irvin.

Guard D’Angelo Russell led the Buckeyes (19-8, 8-6) with 16 points, but he had just three in the first half, when Michigan built a 20-point lead.

Ohio State, battling for a first-round bye in the conference tournament, connected on just three of its first 10 shots.

“There was a lot of pride on the line,” Albrecht said. “We’ve been battling and grinding, and it’s almost like a sigh of relief to get back on the winning side. We were going to refuse to lose that game.”

Freshman swingman Kameron Chatman’s driving basket midway through the first half stretched Michigan’s lead to 19-7.

“They did a great job of not just executing the details, but doing it with passion,” Michigan coach John Beilein said. “That was as charged up as we’ve been all season. We only have three games left, but we won’t stop the grind now. Who knows what can happen.”

The Wolverines continued to pour it on in the latter stages of the first half, leading 31-11 when sophomore guard Andrew Dakich, a former walk-on pressed into service due to Michigan’s injury issues, nailed a triple from the corner for his first field goal of the season.

“They came out on fire in the first half, and we didn’t have the capacity early on to dig down and fight back,” said Ohio State coach Thad Matta, whose team has lost four of the last five to Michigan. “They made us defend, defend, defend, and we let our guard down sometimes.”

The Buckeyes were down 39-23 at the break.

Ohio State cranked up the defensive pressure to open the second half and quickly cut the lead to 42-32 on a pair of free throws by senior center Amir Williams with 17:26 left in the game.

But Michigan put together a surge to extend the margin again.

Albrecht drove the lane and dished to senior forward Max Bielfeldt for an easy bucket. Albrecht then went end-to-end after grabbing a rebound, and his fast break basket made it a 49-32 lead with just over 13 minutes left in the game.

“We just came out of the gates with a lot of energy and kept it going,” Bielfeldt said. “Everyone just played with a lot of passion, and having this kind of momentum going this close to the postseason is exciting.”

Michigan went nearly seven minutes without scoring midway through the second half as Ohio State went on a 14-0 run.

The Buckeyes trailed just 49-46 after freshman forward Keita Bates-Diop, who had 12 points off the bench, scored in the lane with about six minutes left.

An Irvin triple gave the Wolverines a little breathing room, and Albrecht’s ball-handling kept Michigan under control and in command down the stretch. He finished with five assists and zero turnovers.

“Our guys are learning to play, and learning to play at a high speed,” Beilein said. “And Spike was just phenomenal, just terrific.”

Ohio State wasted several opportunities to get closer late in the game due to turnovers and missed shots. A key basket from Irvin and a pair of free throws from Albrecht built a 10-point lead for Michigan with just under a minute left.

“We tried everything we could to get back in it, but everybody has to be dialed in and tuned in to what we’re doing,” Matta said. “We did a better job in the second half, but the gap was just too deep.”

NOTES: Michigan has used eight different starting lineups this season, due to a rash of injuries and illnesses. … Ohio State sophomore guard