Ducks end Michigan’s run with 69-68 victory, head to Elite 8

The Wolverines, led by guard Derrick Walton Jr. during the regular season, found their March Madness groove in a narrow 92-91 win over No. 10 seed Oklahoma State in the first round.

Yet every time they appeared down, MI rose.

Earlier: The University of MI was knocked out of the NCAA March Madness Men’s Basketball Tournament after falling to OR 69-68 Thursday night in Kansas City.

The Wolverines relied heavily on shooting three’s, as they have for most of the season. It was a terrific ride.

Although Walton Jr.is the star he has a very strong supporting cast. There was no shame in missing. The Ducks are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 NCAA Tournament games, 7-1 ATS in their last 8 Thursday games and 16-7 ATS in their last 23 games overall.

Truth is, OR was just a little bit better. After losing the Pac-12 Conference Tournament final to No.2 seed Arizona the Ducks came into the tournament as No.3 seed.

Xavier (30-13) stayed with the second-seeded Wildcats behind Bluiett’s 18 first-half points and tracked down the Wildcats after they tried to pull away in the second half. One of his wins was MI, who he had as a pick’em, so the Oklahoma State shot at the buzzer didn’t cost him the win. “So good ball game”.

It was fitting it was just a two-point lead for OR at the half. Foul trouble or an injury could really impact this game.

OR was a bit undersold entering the game.

Still without big man Chris Boucher (ACL tear), OR will be undersized against the MI frontcourt.

It’s been quite the March for the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team.

The Ducks didn’t reach the Pac 12 title game.

OR scored the final points of the game with 1:08 left. If he can crash the boards the same way, all the Ducks will need is for Dillon Brooks and Tyler Dorsey to continue to provide the bulk of the scoring. Jordan Bell was particularly solid and pest to the Wolverines.

“It’s just an unbelievable feeling”, OR coach Dana Altman said.

It was over when: OR looked like it may take control down the stretch, forging a 60-55 lead with 5:08 left on a Dylan Ennis hoop. They led by six. No, he ‘s also Michigan’s unquestioned leader on and off the court. OR then got up by five. And they had a shot – a three, of course – at the buzzer. It’s like a 2-for-3 exchange. “They’ve got a lot of guys who can shoot the three; they’ve got a lot of guys who can put the ball on the floor”. Zak Irvin chipped in 19 points.

Coming out of the break, OR began to turn its first half weakness into a second half strength.

No doubt that Dorsey will come into Thursday’s MI matchup will plenty of confidence. This would already mark a remarkable season for the MI program, but they want to keep their run going all the way to the Final Four in Phoenix – and they think they can carry this momentum all the way to a national title. Once inside the locker room, coach John Beilein playfully squirted his players with a water gun. It was arguably the best coaching job of his distinguished career.

But Walton and Irvin weren’t going out like that.

They definitely left their mark in 2016-17.