With 23 seconds left and a five-point lead, it looked as though Kansas was poised to advance past Michigan to the Elite Eight. Then Michigan’s Trey Burke took over. Scoring the last five points of regulation and the first 5 points of overtime, Burke lived up to the title of Breitbart Sports Player of the Year, leading the Wolverines to an 87-85 victory.
Trey Burke scored 23 points on the night and contributed 10 assists but it was the final 10 points he scored, five to tie and five to build the Michigan lead, that were his most important on the night. The biggest bucket of the game was an amazingly deep three by Trey Burke with five seconds left in the second half and a hand in his face to force overtime. Mitch McGary also made clutch baskets for the Wolverines in extra time, ending the night leading all scorers with 25 points and chipping in 14 rebounds.
For Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks, the end of this game was a nightmare. Kansas led by 10 points with 2:22 left in the second half, only to collapse under the pressure of Trey Burke’s heroic effort. Self has called this year’s Kansas team “the worst” the school has ever put on the floor in the history of the program. They certainly fit this description, failing to close out Michigan in the waning moments of the second half.
Burke and the Wolverines march on to the Elite Eight and will face the winner of Florida Gulf Coast University vs. Florida on Sunday with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
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