Northwestern loses to Michigan, gets swept by Wolverines for season
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Hunter Dickinson scored 19 points and Michigan pulled away in the second half to earn a 68-51 win on the road, completing a season sweep of Northwestern on Thursday night.
The victory is just the second win away from home for the Wolverines this season and the first since they knocked off Minnesota in their Big Ten Conference opener December 8 in Minneapolis.
Brooks Barnhizer's jumper with four seconds left in the first half pulled Northwestern within a point at intermission, 26-25.
Chase Audige and Ty Berry each scored field goals to open the second half and the Wildcats grabbed a quick 29-26 advantage. Michigan (12-10, 6-5) responded with 12 straight points — Joey Baker had a four-point play and a jumper in the run — for a 38-29 lead with 15:09 left. Dickinson dunked, was fouled and added the free throw and Terrance Williams II knocked down a 3-pointer to push the Wolverines' lead into double digits and the Wildcats never got within 10 points again.
Dickinson was 5 of 5 from the free-throw line and is 22 of 24 from the line over his last five games. Kobe Bufkin finished with a double-double, scoring 15 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. He added eight assists, two steals and a block. Baker hit 3 of 4 from distance and scored 14. Williams pitched in with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Boo Buie hit 9 of 19 from the field, including 3 of 6 from distance, and scored 23 points to lead Northwestern (15-7, 10-4), which completed a string of five games in 11 days. He added eight assists. Audige had 10 points with four steals.
Michigan returns home to play host to Ohio State on Sunday. Northwestern travels to face Wisconsin on Sunday.