Stunning comeback by Michigan

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Apparently, all Michigan needed to right itself Wednesday night was a different rim.

With the long-range shooters off, the Wolverines defense struggling and Indiana playing like a team intent on defending its home court in the first half, the Wolverines got the break they needed at halftime.

They changed ends.

Michigan (12-3, 2-1 Big Ten) took advantage of what it perceived as softer iron, rallying from a 20-point second-half deficit to force overtime and pull away for a 72-66 victory - the Wolverines' first win in Bloomington since 1995.

"No excuses, but the first-half rim was real hard so as soon as it hit, it's got to go straight in or it's going to come off hard," Michigan's Manny Harris said. "In the second half, the rim was kind of looser."

The coaches offered different explanations.

John Beilein, the Michigan coach, credited his team for sticking to the game plan, improving its defense and continuing to fight. Indiana coach Tom Crean contended his team simply didn't defend as well over the final 25 minutes as it did the first 20.

Whatever the reason, it was the same result for the weary Hoosiers (5-9, 0-2).

Laval Lucas-Perry led Michigan with 18 points, including a 3-pointer that tied the score with 23.4 seconds left in regulation and another 3 in overtime that finally gave Michigan a 5-point lead.

Indiana, which shot 50 percent from the field in the first half, shot just 36 percent in the second half.

But Crean, never one to criticize his young, undermanned team too strongly in public or blame losses on things out of his control, acknowledged his team must figure out how to close out games.

"We've still got to learn how to play 40 minutes of basketball, 40 minutes of defense and what it's all about," Crean said. "We have to learn to rebound better, but we are improving. I see it, but I don't know if you see it."