A referee in Wednesday’s game between No. 2 Michigan and Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill., made a blunder likely not covered in the rulebook.
As the second half of the contest was about to start, one of the referees was nowhere to be found on the court, as game official Verne Harris apparently had to retrieve his whistle in the locker room. He later emerged from the tunnel with the crucial equipment, rejoining fellow referees Earl Walton and Brian Dorsey on the court to resume his duties.
All told, Harris didn’t cause a major delay, as play resumed once he was reunited with his whistle.
This caused a short delay to start the second half during Michigan–Northwestern 😅 pic.twitter.com/npnvCRGf0r
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 12, 2026
As for the game, the Wolverines overcame a nine-point halftime deficit and avoided what would have been a stunning upset loss at the hands of the unranked Northwestern.
Michigan, down by as many as 16 points in the second half, battled back by outscoring the host team in the final 20 minutes of the contest, 52-31, on its way to an 87-75 come-from-behind victory.
Wolverines sophomore guard L.J. Cason provided much of the spark his team needed, as he paced Michigan with 18 points, while senior forward Yaxel Lendeborg contributed 15 points.
Dusty May’s team also benefited from Harris and the refs’ whistles, as the Wolverines went 19-for-27 from the free-throw line, while Northwestern was 13-for-14 from the charity stripe.
