Tre Donaldson’s game-winning layup sends Michigan basketball to Big Ten Tournament championship

INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 3 seeded Michigan Wolverines upset the No. 2 seeded Maryland Terrapins 81-80 to advance to the Big Ten Tournament championship.

Thanks to a last second stop, and a clutch bucket by Tre Donaldson, the Wolverines prevailed by the skin of their teeth.

Donaldson scored the team’s final five points of the game for the win.

1st half

After a 25-assists-to-six-turnover game against the Purdue Boilermakers, Michigan came out sloppy once again, with 10 turnovers in the first half, but somehow led 38-34 over the Terrapins going into the break inside the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Wolverines fed a steady diet of future NBA Draft first-round pick Danny Wolf, who attacked the rim early and often. He scored 8 points and grabbed 8 rebounds.

Fellow big man Vladislav Goldin dropped 8 points as well while also grabbing 6 boards followed by Tre Donaldson who had five points and a crazy no-look alley oop lob to Roddy Gayle Jr. to end the half.

Gayle Jr.’s most explosive play was not the dunk, but instead it was a left wing three pointer that got the once quieted crowd on their feet as he’s usually not one to shoot from long range.

But leading the team in scoring in the first half was Nimari Burnett who dropped 10 points on Maryland.

Burnett was aggressive, making numerous plays attacking the rim in the first half and knocking down some sweet jump shots from deep, helping the Wolverines take a four-point lead into the half.

In addition to scoring and turnovers, Michigan dominated the glass, with 27 combined rebounds to Maryland’s 12 as their sloppy play kept the game close.

2nd half

Goldin came out of the half like a fearless monster as he led the Wolverines on a personal 6-0 run.

He then met Terrapis big man Julian Reese at the rim for a nasty block that got the Michigan fans on their feet. With 17:56 to play, Maryland took a timeout, and the once four-point lead jumped to 46-34.

Wolf joined the party with a wide open three to extend the run to 9-0 but guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie knocked down a three to stop the bleeding.

The Terrapins added two free throws by Selton Miguel and a Derik Queen jumper to answer with their own 7-0 run to cut into the 49-41 lead.

The run extended to 10-0 after Miguel made a tough three. But Donaldson’s layup stopped momentarily the bleeding as the Wolverines maintained a 51-44 lead.

Queen had an easy dunk followed by a Rubin Jones bunny and a Wolf put back to 55-46. A Will Tschetter slam ignited the crowd as the lead jumped to 57-46.

Gillespie’s duce followed by another Wolf and Gayle layup pushed the lead back to 11 as the Wolverines led 61-50 with 11:23 to play.

With 1.1 remaining on the shot clock, another ill-advised pass led to a Queen coast-to-coast leading to an and-1.

Rodney Rice joined the party as more sloppy play by the Wolverines led to a Maryland 10-0 run as the Terrapins trail 61-60 with 8:40 to play.

Queen finished the run off with an acrobatic layup at the rim, causing a timeout by Michigan.

After trailing 61-50, the Wolverines let go of the rope and now trail 62-61 with 8:19 to play.

The Wolverines have turned the ball over six times in the second half, totaling 16 for the game at this point.

The once quieted Terrapins fan base has overtaken the arena as they regained momentum.

Queen after knocking down two more free throws now has 25 points in the game as they lead the Wolverines 64-61 with 7:36 to play.

Goldin stepped to the line where he knocked down two free throws to cut the deficit to one.

Queen tripped on an invisible rug and got a foul call on Goldin, extending the lead back to three with under seven minutes to play.

Goldin sank two more free throws to cut the deficit back to one. Fellow big man Wolf got a tough rebound while getting fouled.

Michigan retook the lead 67-66 with 6:07 to play in the half, bringing the Michigan fans back to their feet.

But Rice knocked down a wide open three to retake the lead 69-67.

Wolf knocks down two free throws to tie the game at 69, but a floater by Rice retook the lead for the Terrapins.

With the fans chanting “Defense,” Goldin had a golden opportunity to secure the rebound, fumbles it out of bounds to the dismay of the Michigan fans.

But Maryland returned the favor with an ill-advised pass to Jones who found a wide-open Goldin who hit a three-pointer as the crowd erupts, retaking the lead 74-71 forcing a Terrapins timeout with 3:56 remaining.

Reese got fouled by Donaldson, went to the line and made one free throw to cut the lead to 74-72.

Jones acquired his fourth foul of the game, sending Miguel to the line where he tied the game at 74 with 2:40 to play.

Goldin picked up his fourth foul on an overturned and-one with 2:00 to play, but he made a rim run to retake the lead with 1:35 to play.

With one minute to play, up 76-74, Wolf gets called for a charge. Queen ties the game with a rim run at 76.

Big Game Tre did just that with the clock winding down as he hit a wide open three to help his Wolverines retake a 79-76 lead with 27.9 seconds.

Reese makes a layup to cut the lead to one. Maryland fouls Wolf with 12.6 remaining, missing the free throw.

With 7.6 seconds remaining, Maryland calls a timeout.

A last second bail-out foul is called on Jones with 5.3 seconds left, sending Queen to the line where he made both to take an 80-79 lead.

But with 0.4 remaining Donaldson drives to the rim for the win.

Goldin finished the game with 25 points, Wolf had 21, and Donaldson, the hero of the day, finished with 12.

This helped Michigan advance to the championship game on Sunday, where they will take on Wisconsin for the Big Ten Tournament championship.

Tip off is at 3:30 p.m.