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COLUMBUS, Ohio >> The Wolverines have made a habit of winning by narrow margins the past couple weeks.
They kept that streak going in Sunday’s rivalry matchup against the Buckeyes.
In a game that went down to the wire, No. 20 Michigan got a stop on Ohio State’s final possession to stay atop the Big Ten standings and hang on for an 86-83 victory on Sunday at Value City Arena.
Vlad Goldin had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Danny Wolf added 17 points and 11 rebounds for Michigan (20-5, 12-2 Big Ten), which has won six straight — all by four points or fewer — and earned its sixth conference road victory.
“I’ve had to say it after every game the last few weeks, but when you look at the beginning of our season … we’ve been on the opposite end of these close games,” Wolf said, citing the losses to Arkansas, Oklahoma and Minnesota. “I think as tough as it is in those moments, we look at the bigger picture and it gets you ready for games like this.
“I’m so proud of my teammates for how we’ve come this year in terms of sticking together. When we’re up, when we’re down, everyone stays together.”
After Michigan led by five at the end of a first half that featured back-and-forth action and no lead larger than seven, the second half followed suit.
The Wolverines held a slim lead much of the way after halftime and were up 80-76 with 3:36 remaining but had a tough time shaking the Buckeyes, who refused to go away quietly.
Ohio State (15-11, 7-8) kept applying pressure and took advantage of Michigan’s miscues. A live-ball turnover by Tre Donaldson led to a dunk the other way. Two point-blank misses at the rim preceded a Bruce Thornton floater that tied it at 80 with 2:06 to go.
The Wolverines didn’t break. Roddy Gayle Jr., who was booed every time he touched the ball against his former team, answered with a driving layup that put Michigan ahead for good. Then after getting a stop, Goldin finished a possession on which Michigan grabbed two offensive rebounds with a bucket at the rim for an 84-80 lead with 52 seconds remaining.
Still, Michigan had to sweat out the final minute. Ohio State’s Micah Parrish, a Detroit native, drained a corner 3-pointer to cut the deficit to one. Wolf was fouled and split two free throws to make it 85-83 with 24 seconds to go.
With a chance to tie it or take the lead, Ohio State came up empty on its final possession, as Thornton’s floater in the paint missed everything. Rubin Jones caught the airball, was fouled with less than a second remaining and made a free throw for the final margin.
The win secured Michigan’s first 20-win season since the 2020-21 campaign and maintained its first-place spot in the conference standings. It also came without Sam Walters, who was sidelined with a lower-back ailment.
“I anticipate every single (rivalry) game being like this, hard fought till the very end,” Michigan coach Dusty May said.
“Ohio State made play after play. They gave us everything that we asked for, everything that we wanted. … It’s two heavyweights battling it out, going hit for hit, round for round, and fortunately we made the plays when we needed to.”
Devin Royal scored 26, Thornton 17 and John Mobley Jr. 16 for Ohio State, which finished 18-for-27 on free throws and has lost four of the last five meetings in the rivalry series.
Gayle, who came off the bench for the third straight game, finished with nine points and eight rebounds. Nimari Burnett scored 11 for the Wolverines, who won the rebounding battle (46-31), scored 21 second-chance points off 19 offensive rebounds and had seven players finish with at least eight points.
“We’re winning these games because it’s a complete team effort, and the bond and relationship that our guys have in the locker room carries over in between the lines,” May said.
Sunday’s clash was a seesaw affair from the start. Burnett and Goldin combined to score Michigan’s first 14. The Buckeyes started 7-for-10 from the field with five of those coming on 3-pointers, including back-to-back deep balls in a 22-second span that put them up 21-16.
Michigan responded with an 8-0 spurt to pull back in front. Ohio State countered with a five-point possession where it missed three free throws, including a wedgie, grabbed two offensive rebounds, and Will Tschetter was assessed a flagrant foul after a review. The sequence ended with Parrish making two free throws, Ohio State retaining possession after the flagrant foul and Thornton making a mid-range jumper for a 26-24 edge.
Michigan threw a press and zone at Ohio State that took the Buckeyes out of their rhythm. Ohio State missed nine consecutive shots over a seven-minute stretch and made three baskets over the final nine minutes of the half. Michigan put together a 7-0 run to go up six en route to a 44-39 halftime lead.
Ohio State made it a one-possession game six times over the first six minutes out of the break. Michigan countered each time — on baskets by Donaldson, Goldin and Wolf — to maintain a slim margin before the Buckeyes pulled even at 61 at the 13:37 mark and took a 65-63 lead on a Thornton layup a minute later.
The Wolverines responded with a Wolf layup and Goldin dunk to pull back in front.
Then after Ohio State took its last lead at the 9:15 mark, Michigan made four consecutive shots, including two layups by Wolf, to grab a 76-71 lead with 6:09 to play.
That set the stage for another close finish when the Wolverines found another way to come out on top.
“I grew up a Michigan fan. Deep down, this game meant a lot to me,” Wolf said.
“Michigan-Ohio State is one of the greatest rivalries in all sports. My teammates played so hard, and no one splintered.
“We all stuck together down the stretch, and we were able to come away with a big win.”