What a shot! And what a bad beat by Indiana in Saturday’s 70-67 defeat to No. 24 Michigan at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
Anthony Leal hit a shot from 3/4-court as time expired. No, it didn’t matter in regards to the game’s outcome. The Wolverines had a 70-64 lead after Danny Wolf hit two free throws with two seconds remaining.
But Leal’s heave covered the Hoosiers against the point spread, killing any bets on Michigan. The Wolverines were favored by 3.5 points in Saturday’s matchup. Media and fans aware of the spread noted the bad beat immediately.
In college basketball’s big picture, Michigan’s win was a big one, defeating a conference opponent on the road after losing its past two games away from Ann Arbor. The victory improved the Wolverines’ record to 10-2 in the Big Ten, tied with Michigan State for second behind Purdue.
Wolf scored a game-high 20 points with nine rebounds and five assists, as Michigan improved to 18-5 overall. Vladislav Goldin and Tre Donaldson each added 18 points, helping the Wolverines to their fourth consecutive win.
Saturday’s game was Indiana’s first since the basketball program announced that head coach Mike Woodson would step down after the season. The Hoosiers facing Michigan set up an intriguing situation with Wolverines coach Dusty May being an Indiana native and graduate from the university. He was a student manager for four seasons under coach Bob Knight and his mother currently lives in Bloomington.
Many Hoosiers fans viewed May as a possible successor to Woodson, but that likely became a moot point when he took the Michigan job after last season. May agreed to a five-year deal after leaving Florida Atlantic, but Indiana might view May’s $4 million buyout (down from $5 million after the season) as an obstacle that can be overcome.
Nonetheless, May got a nice ovation from the Assembly Hall crowd during pregame introductions, arguably a warmer one than Woodson received.
Though Michigan got the win on Saturday, handing Indiana (14-18, 5-8) its fifth consecutive loss, some fans — and certainly some bettors — found a consolation in Leal’s buzzer-beater.
