NCAA Tournament: Michigan fights off nerves and turnovers to nip Clemson at the wire

Michigan vs Clemson

 
If the first-round NCAA Tournament game between Michigan and Clemson had been a horse race, the end result would have been a photo finish. Fortunately for the Wolverines, their opponent from the state of South Carolina made its closing charge just a shade too late.
 
In complete command of Clemson with just under six minutes left in regulation, John Beilein's boys held on for dear life in the final minute against a furious flurry of activity by the tireless and tenacious Tigers. A key 3-point play by guard Manny Harris, followed by one superb defensive stop, enabled Michigan to escape with a 62-59 win over its ACC opponent. The victory sends the Maize and Blue into Saturday's second round against the Oklahoma-Morgan State winner.
 
For the first 34 minutes of this collision in Kansas City, Michigan dominated and--in accordance with the hopes of Wolverine fans everywhere--looked like the better-coached club. Beilein--now 7-4 all-time in the NCAA Tournament--knows how to prepare for these special situations, and it showed against a Clemson team that started this season with a 16-0 record.
 
On offense, the Wolverines passed the ball effectively and crisply to beat Clemson double-teams and carve up the Tigers' press. Michigan's guards were strong with the ball and--at least for those first 34 minutes of mastery--did not crack in the face of defensive pressure.
 
At the other end of the floor, Michigan's entire unit displayed rock-solid rotations and provided terrifically timely weakside help against Tiger star Trevor Booker, who--along with Harris--was the best player on the floor. When one considers the fact that Booker racked up 18 points and 11 rebounds on a night when he was reasonably contained, it's easy to see why the powerful post player will collect an NBA paycheck. On this night, however, all Michigan had to do was prevent Booker from going bonkers. Yes, Clemson out rebounded the Maize and Blue by a 39-28 margin, but the damage was controlled by Beilein's boys, who wisely forced the Tigers' backcourt to beat them. When Clemson sniper Terrence Oglesby--the owner of a nightmarish night--went 1-of-7 in the first half, the tone was set for the bulk of the evening.

All in all, the combination of smart, low-turnover offense and scrappy interior defense enabled Michigan to accumulate a 58-43 bulge with 5:51 remaining in the second half. As the Wolverines continued to limit Booker's shot attempts, and the Tigers' backcourt continued to toss one rim-harming brick after another, it appeared that the 10th-seeded men from Michigan would coast to the winner's circle against their seventh-seeded opponent.
 
However, just when it seemed that the Maize and Blue horse would jog to a 20-length victory, the athletic thoroughbreds from Clemson received enough inspiration to mount a final and very forceful finishing kick that almost won the race.
 
Dead in the water in the eyes of many, the Tigers--behind two quick 3-pointers from guard Andre Young--closed the gap to 58-52 with 3:51 left. One could feel the tension filling the air inside the Sprint Center, as the lungs of Michigan's steady guards suddenly lacked the same amount of oxygen they once possessed. The horse with the 20-length lead abruptly began to tire, just as the horse with the orange-trimmed silks rapidly picked up steam. After Michigan guard C.J. Lee committed two very shaky turnovers in a span of 83 seconds, Clemson--gaining possessions and passion with each passing moment--pieced together more points to forge a 14-0 run and slice Michigan's lead to 58-57 with just 49 seconds left on the clock.
 
The runaway had become a photo finish, and when his team needed him most, Manny Harris (23 points, 7 boards, and 6 assists on the evening) made sure that Michigan would have its nose in front when these two evenly-matched teams hit the wire.
 
After Michigan gathered its composure and managed to break the Clemson press, Harris received a pass on the left wing, saw an open lane to the basket, and banked in a four-foot leaner over a sliding Booker, who was slightly tardy in his attempt to draw a charge. Harris's bucket--on the verge of being wiped out by an offensive foul--stayed on the scoreboard, while Booker was whistled for a blocking foul. Harris hit the "and-one" free throw to give Michigan a 61-57 lead with 37.4 seconds left.

Given a new dose of breathing room after a wild series of events nearly toppled them, the Wolverines knew that when Harris heroically intervened, they merely had to do two things to preserve their lead: First, they had to avoid turnovers. Second, they had to lock down Clemson at the defensive end. In the final 37 seconds of this suddenly scintillating game, Beilein's bunch achieved those twin tasks.
 
The boys from Ann Arbor made sure that their 34-minute masterpiece didn't go for naught in the final 6 minutes of regulation. Up 61-59 with 27 seconds left, the Wolverines not only broke the Clemson press, but ran off 14 seconds of clock time to put the squeeze on the Tigers. Zack Novak hit one of two free throws with 13 seconds left to put Michigan up by three, and when UM guard David Merritt--inserted by Beilein before Novak's second free throw as a defensive stopper--blanketed Clemson guard K.C. Rivers on a desperate 3-point attempt from the left corner, the final shot of the game didn't come remotely close to the basket. Rivers' heave, in the face of Merritt's textbook-perfect defense, fell a few feet short of the rim with one second left. The Wolverines cradled the rebound, and the deed had been done.
 
This win was far more thrilling and theatrical than Michigan would have liked, but in the one-and-done world of the NCAA Tournaments, it's okay to lose 14 points off a lead as long as the advantage is 15 points to begin with. Clemson will sing a close-but-not-quite story, while the winning Wolverines, on the verge of collapse, will only think about the joy of their big breakthrough.
 
In the regular season, teams can worry about late-game weaknesses. In the postseason, the only thing that matters is the entry in the win column... and the fact that Michigan--now in the round of 32--has won its first NCAA Tournament game since 1998.

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