No. 3 Michigan rebounded from a loss to Indiana Saturday with a thrilling 76-74 overtime win over rival Ohio State in Ann Arbor Tuesday. Tim Hardaway Jr. led both teams with 23 points on 6-of-9 3-pointers — including five straight during the second half — but he may have gotten away with a foul on the last play of the game.
Ohio State guard Aaron Craft got the ball with 7.6 seconds left following a missed Wolverines free throw. He dribbled the length of the court and attempted a layup to tie the game, but his shot was blocked for the second straight possession. Hardaway appeared to make contact with him, but no foul was called, giving Michigan the win.
Hardaway even admitted after the game that he made contact with Craft.
“I saw the ball in my face, so I just tried to wrap it up,” Hardaway said, via The Associated Press. “Probably got his arm or something like that, but like I said, it’s up to the refs to call that call, and they let it go.”
Craft similarly felt the contact.
“There was a bit of contact,” said Craft. “But they didn’t call it, so I guess it wasn’t a foul.”
Perhaps even more confounding for the Buckeyes than the no-call at the end of the game is why Deshaun Thomas didn’t attempt a shot in the deciding period.
