No. 5 Michigan takes aim at slumping Indiana

No. 5 Michigan dodged a bullet in its last game. The Wolverines will try to avoid a misstep against a desperate team on Friday.

They will head to Indiana to face the Hoosiers, who have dropped five consecutive games after a strong start.

A loss at Wisconsin on Saturday ended the Wolverines' 17-game winning streak. They were in danger again on Tuesday when Minnesota reeled off 10 unanswered points in the late going to tie the game at 57. Charles Matthews prevented an overtime session when a buzzer-beating baseline put-back.

"He's always around the basket and he mopped up," coach John Beilein said.

As the final score would suggest, the Wolverines struggled on offense. They shot 33.9 percent overall and 3 of 22 (13.6 percent) from 3-point range. They were also out-rebounded 43-33 but committed only six turnovers, compared to 16 by the Gophers.

"From Wisconsin to this game we improved," center Jon Teske told the Detroit Free Press. "From this game on, we've got to improve even more, and we'll definitely do that."

Freshman forward Ignas Brazdeikis scored a team-high 18 points, a vast improvement from his scoreless outing against the Badgers. However, he shot just 4 of 18 from the field.

"I told him to come in and do the same thing (he's been doing)," Matthews told the Detroit News.

"You might not be as productive as you once were but stay aggressive. You've got to have a short memory out here. That's what happens when you establish yourself as a premier player. You're going to be targeted and it's not going to come to easy to you. You've got to continue to find a way."

The Wolverines (18-1, 7-1 Big Ten) won the first meeting with Indiana on Jan. 6, 74-63, with Matthews and Jordan Poole each scoring 18 points.

That began the Hoosiers' tumble down the standings.

Indiana's slide has been partly due to poor perimeter shooting. It has made just 25 percent of its 3-point shots in the past five games.

"We've got to be better and figure out different ways to re-create some of our movement," coach Archie Miller said. "We have to be able to be harder to guard, not as much stationary. We're not shooting the ball well right now."

The Hoosiers' latest stumble came at Northwestern on Tuesday. With that 73-66 loss, they matched their longest skid since dropping five straight in February 2017.

"It's frustrating," senior forward Juwan Morgan told Hoosiers Sports Report.

"Even if it was a one-game losing streak, I hate losing. I'm a competitor. I'm sure anybody on this team could attest to that. For themselves as well. We're all competitors. We hate losing. We have to stay to the grind. We have to stay true to it. We can't shortcut anything."

Indiana (12-7, 3-5) played without junior guard Devonte Green, who was suspended indefinitely prior to the Northwestern game for failing to meet "the standards expected of members of the program," according to a team press release. He averages 8.0 points and a team-high 3.2 assists per game.

Against the Wildcats, the Hoosiers trailed by 15, then pulled within three points before Northwestern put the game away.

Miller said the Hoosiers have to put that loss behind them before facing the powerful Wolverines.

"For us, it's all about the next opportunity," he said.

--Field Level Media