Against Northwestern it was the 1-3-1 defense that caused
problems for Trevon Hughes. Wisconsin?s leading scorer couldn?t hit a field
goal his last time out playing against the zone, so it figured that when
Michigan started showing the same defense Tuesday night Hughes would once again
struggle. Instead, the guard hit five shots, scored 12 points and made the
assist that led to Marcus Landry?s crucial 3-pointer with 23 seconds left,
showing just how tough it is to stop him consistently.

?It wasn?t as tight,? Hughes said of the simple difference
between Michigan?s defense and Northwestern?s.

Additionally, Tuesday marked the second time the Badger
guard had seen the Wolverines use it ? UW scored a 72-50 victory earlier this
season in Ann Arbor with Michigan showing the same tactic.

?We learned their defense, their 1-3-1, and we got looks
from it,? Hughes said. ?Obviously, the second time around it was a little
easier for us.?

With a closer game this time around than their earlier
meeting, it was the play of Hughes that helped spark the Badgers offense late
in the game when the Wolverines made a final charge.

?Trevon has made us all better than we normally play,?
Landry said. ?He gets his teammates involved, we have to be ready [to receive a
pass] at any given time.?

Hughes? backcourt mate Michael Flowers also played a key
role in the outcome. The senior tied with Landry as the team?s high scorer with
14 points and Flowers raised his play when Hughes was forced to take a couple
of breaks with foul trouble. Though Hughes was limited to just 24 minutes of
action, Flowers played the entire game and acted as a steady presence in the
backcourt throughout, especially when Hughes was on the bench.

?Michael did some pretty good things,? Wisconsin head coach
Bo Ryan said. ?He had three steals, he had some deflections.?

Hughes also forced three turnovers, and the play of the two
guards on the defensive end helped shut down the visitors.

?If you watch Wisconsin, there?s how you play defense,?
Michigan coach Jon Beilein said. ?They?re just terrific.?

It was Flowers who made the game?s most pivotal stand when
he poked the ball away from Michigan?s Manny Harris as the Wolverines? leading
scorer was attacking the basket with Michigan down just one and under a minute
to play.

?Tough competitor,? Ryan said of Flowers. ?Things weren?t
going that well [late in the game]; he probably felt in his mind defensively he
was just trying to make a play, trying to make a good play without fouling, and
he did.?

In addition to his steals, Flowers tallied three assists
while turning the ball over just once.

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Rebounds cause trouble for UW

Part of the reason a struggling Michigan team was able to
give Wisconsin such a close game was the inability of UW to control the glass.
While losing the rebound battle by 12, the Badgers gave up 20 offensive
rebounds ? their second highest total allowed on the season ? and the
Wolverines were able to score 14 second-chance points. Though Beilein said it
was his team?s energy that prompted their rebounding advantage, Ryan cited a
different reason.

?They?re long and athletic,? Ryan said. ?They?re bouncier
than us. We need to do a better job putting bodies on people.?

Four of Michigan?s offensive boards came in the final two
minutes of play, giving the Wolverines a chance to pull the upset and letting
the Badgers know how fortunate they were to come away with the win.

?We just got to do a better job as a team,? Landry said. ?We
just can?t let that happen again, we should be very surprised we won this game,
with the outcome, the way we rebounded.?