A full house at Assembly Hall stood on their feet chanting "Number 1" after the final buzzer indicated the Indiana University Hoosiers (#3) had come out on top Saturday, defeating the No. 1 ranked team in the NCAA 81-73.
After Michigan won the tip off, the Hoosiers quickly regained possession of the ball. Indiana's key starters, Cody Zeller, Christian Watford, and Victor Oladipo then quickly brought Assembly Hall to its feet as the Hoosiers began to sink three pointers, make rebounds, and put pressure on the Wolverines. The Wolverines, who are known for their offensive team, took several minutes before they were able to pick up their momentum, and the Hoosier's tight man-to-man defensive coverage proved to be a struggle for Michigan.
The Hoosiers led 36-32 at the half. Then, within minutes of the second half starting, Michigan's offense came out very explosive , tying up the game 40-40 with the Hoosiers.
But this would be the closest the Wolverines would come against the Hoosiers for the rest of the game. Quickly regaining possession of the ball, the Hoosiers fed off of the energy coming from the crowd and started to execute key plays. Zeller, with a leading 19 points this game, right away made two huge dunks, causing Assembly Hall to rupture with noise.
Throughout the game, the Hoosiers kept a tight man-to-man defense on Michigan, relying heavily on their defense until the final moments of the game. With someone always ready on the rebound, the Hoosiers were able to drive down the court to the net, keeping their lead on the scoreboard for the rest of the game.
Oladipo also had a star performance, making 15 points. Two other key players proved to be Watford with 14 points and Jordan Hulls with 11.
Trey Burke was Michigan's leading scorer with 25 points in the game. Michigan finished the game with 8 turnovers and 22 rebounds. IU had 16 turnovers and 36 rebounds, 10 of which were attributed to Watford.
IU plays its next game against the University of Illinois on Feb. 7.
