Photo from mgoblue.com
It was a classic nail-biter, right down to the buzzer. Then it was over for University of Michigan, losing to Oregon 69-69 on Thursday in the thick of March Madness.
For a little stretch of time, locals could forget about their sad Detroit pro teams and feel like winners. The final game was a classic.
Bob Wojnowski writes at The Detroit News writes:
If it was going to end, this was how it would end, against an opponent just as good, just as lethal, in a thriller that left no room to breathe. When Derrick Walton Jr. rose and fired the final shot, the horn sounded, the crowd shrieked, and Michigan finally hit the clank of disappointment.
You won’t find a basketball game any tighter than this, or a loss any tougher for the Wolverines, who had it in their grasp and let it slip away. Oregon rallied in the final minute to beat Michigan 69-68 Thursday night and deny the Wolverines a spot in the Elite Eight.
Fittingly, the ball was in their leader’s hands at the end, after Oregon missed a free throw with 15 seconds left. So it actually was surprising when Walton’s shot — an open 20-footer — hit the front of the rim, and he clasped his hands to his face as the Ducks celebrated.
“I thought it was the best shot I got all night, I had great lift on it, I shot it like I shot every other shot,” Walton said softly in Michigan’s locker room. “I just thought it would be a great moment and the shot would go in. I’ve made that shot a thousand times.”
