No. 17 Michigan Edges No. 6 Ohio State, 56-51

by David Cassilo / @dcassilo

The Big Ten title race just got a little more complicated. With No. 17 Michigan’s 56-51 win over No. 6 Ohio State, the Wolverines, Buckeyes and No. 7 Michigan State are all within a half game for the conference crown with two weeks to play.

Leading up to Saturday’s highly-anticipated matchup, much of the talk centered around Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger and Michigan’s Trey Burke. The two were high school teammates who remain close friends. It was Burke, though, who made the shot of the night. With his team leading 54-51, Burke iced the game with a layup with 14 seconds remaining. Burke finished with a team-high 17 points while Sullinger had 14 points and eight rebounds.

After the game, Burke was thinking more about how the win affects his team.

From the Detroit Free Press:

“I’m just happy we won,” said Burke, who led U-M with 17 points, redeeming his struggles in last month’s loss in Columbus. “For us to stick together as a team down the stretch, to come together after that tough loss at Ohio State, it shows how much of a team we are.”

As for the Buckeyes, they have now dropped two of their last three after winning six straight. The Big Ten title might be on the line when they close the regular season at Michigan State on March 4.