Michigan's March magic ends against Oregon's stifling defense

“You know what time it is!” The cry came once, then again. “You know what time it is!” And everybody did.

The words came from the mouth of Michigan guard Derrick Walton as he brought Michigan back from a second-half deficit into a three-point lead with two minutes to play in Thursday’s Sweet 16 game against Oregon. And because they came from his mouth, everybody knew what they meant. Walton was about to lead Michigan to victory, just as he had done so often throughout March.

But then something funny happened. He didn’t.

Two minutes after the cries, with Michigan now down one, he stopped on a dime, bounced the ball behind his back, and elevated. His shot clanged off the front rim and out. It fell into the arms of an Oregon player, and so did Michigan’s storybook March run, cut short by the Ducks.

Oregon hangs on! #Sweet16 pic.twitter.com/ul8hvWJPaD

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 24, 2017

It was Oregon who made massive plays down the stretch. The No. 3 seed in the Midwest region held on for a 69-68 victory behind stifling defense and 20 points from Tyler Dorsey, who has rapidly become Oregon’s March hero. The Ducks held Michigan’s potent offense to just 1.01 points per possession, and did just enough on offense to recoup the lead that they had lost and advance to the Elite Eight.

Tyler Dorsey had the game-winning layup for Oregon with just over a minute to play

Michigan’s magical run is over because the Wolverines lost for the first time in over three weeks, and they lost because, for the first time in three weeks, an opponent slowed down their offense.

It took in-game adjustments and flip-flopping schemes, deflections and rim protection, and floor generals both on the court and on the sideline. But, finally, it happened.

The Ducks started in a 1-2-2 halfcourt alignment that occasionally featured traps 45 feet from the rim. Michigan slipped through it twice for D.J. Wilson 3s, but it disrupted the Wolverines, who had been so efficient on the offensive end since mid-February.

After a few minutes, Oregon fell back into a man-to-man, sometimes picking up at midcourt, other times meeting Michigan just above the 3-point line. It oscillated between the trap, the man-to-man and a confusing matchup zone.

“We chart it out and see which ones going the best,” Altman said of the various schemes. “And a lot of times I ask the guys down the stretch what they want to play.”

“They gave us trouble with their changing defenses, and put us in delay a few times,” Michigan coach John Beilein admitted after the game.

The Ducks’ aggressiveness didn’t fall back, though, even when they retreated into their man-to-man or zone. They jammed cutters and jumped passing lanes, all while only fouling nine times all game. They forced seven first-half turnovers from the most sure-handed team in college basketball.

Throughout the game, Oregon coach Dana Altman coordinated transitions from one scheme into another. He and his assistants gave in-game scouting reports, reminding players when to keep hands up and when to help off.

“Active hands,” Altman shouted. “Active hands!”

“Sit down,” assistants yelled, urging their players to get low on defense.

Both Altman and assistant coach Tony Stubblefield at times stomped their feet during the game, the thuds carrying all the way to the upper reaches of the Sprint Center. Altman would often get down in a defensive stance himself on the sideline.

The constant communication helped keep Michigan’s many offensive weapons in check. D.J. Wilson had 12 points, but all came on 3-pointers. Jordan Bell shut down Moritz Wagner, limiting the sophomore forward to seven on 10 shots.

The Ducks could only keep Michigan at bay for so long, though. Down five with five minutes to play, the Wolverines made their charge. Wilson splashed a 3. Walton followed with a 3 of his own. Zak Irvin drained a jumper to put Michigan up 66-65, and, a minute later, Walton shook Oregon’s Casey Benson and rattled in a step-back 18-footer to give Michigan a three-point lead.

When Benson turned to a referee to call a timeout as he crossed halfcourt, Walton pointed to his wrist, right where a watch would be. It was time.

But this time, it was Oregon’s time. Bell cut the lead to one, and Dorsey gave Oregon the lead on a layup with 1:08 remaining. With 15 seconds on the clock, Dylan Ennis had a chance to extend it, but missed the front end of a one-and-one. Bell fouled Walton — unintentionally, it appeared — and glanced up to the scoreboard to see it was only his team’s fourth. With nine seconds left, he conferred with Altman about the two remaining fouls to give.

“If you have a chance to do it again, do it again,” coach told player.

Player then communicated the decision about whether or not to use them to his teammates.

When Ennis, the on-ball defender on Walton, didn’t foul, Altman held his breath. Dorsey tracked Walton’s shot in flight, hoping it wouldn’t fall. When it rimmed out, Altman turned to his assistants with a sheepish, relieved smile.

“We were supposed to foul,” he later said. “Dylan Ennis had an opportunity there. I was a little upset that he didn’t. Fortunately the ball didn’t go in.”