Sports

Northwestern Basketball Fumbled Upset Bid After Fanbase Succumbed To Michigan Takeover

#Michigan Wolverines
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© David Banks-Imagn Images


The Northwestern basketball team hosted Big 10 rival Michigan in Evanston on Wednesday night. You may have been fooled on the location when listening to the audio.

The Wolverines outnumbered the Wildcats in Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Northwestern fanbase surrendered a chance to witness an upset and instead succumbed to a Michigan takeover.

Northwestern entered the matchup with little to play for. The team was 10-14 with a seat in the cellar of the Big 10 standings.

Michigan, meanwhile, is vying for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The second-ranked Wolverines averted disaster after falling behind early.

Michigan avoided a basketball upset.

The road team fell behind by nine at halftime. The deficit grew to 16 in the second half. Northwestern appeared primed to pull out the surprise win. Then, things fell apart.

The Wolverines went on a 16-2 run to get back within striking distance.

At one point in the game, Michigan scored on 21 straight possessions across a 12-minute span. Their supporters erupted as the momentum flipped in the Wolverines’ direction.

Visiting fans made Northwestern’s home court feel like the Crisler Center. Dusty May commented on the atmosphere after the fact.

“When we got on our run, when we took the lead, it erupted,” he recalled. “I even told our guys, fellas, this is a home game. Let’s continue to get stops and get out and run…

“A lot of gratitude for the people that came to watch us. We’ve never had a takeover like that.”

A crowd of more than 7,000 people was announced for the game. The majority were Wolverines, which helped fuel the road team.

Northwestern fans chose not to attend. Still, the Wildcats had a chance to send visitors home angry on the four-hour trip back to Ann Arbor.

Instead, the Wildcats let a win slip from their hands.