In one of the most exciting moments of the opening weekend of the 2018 NCAA Tournament, Michigan freshman Jordan Poole hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to lift the Wolverines over the Houston Cougars 64-63 on Friday, March 16 in the second round of the tournament. Houston may have broken the hearts of money-line bettors, but it did cover the spread as a 3-point underdog, and the game went under the total of 134.
Houston had a chance to clinch victory with 3.9 seconds remaining, but Devin Davis missed two free throws that would have given the Cougars a four-point lead.
After a timeout, Michigan inbounded the ball to Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, who dribbled past half court and dished to Poole, who hit his contested 3-pointer from about 25 feet.
The Wolverines move on to face the winner of North Carolina and Texas A&M in the Sweet 16 in Los Angeles. Odds for that matchup will be released by BetDSI Sportsbook shortly after it is finalized. Michigan figures to be a slight favorite against Texas A&M but an underdog against North Carolina.
Notes
Abdur-Rahkman and Moritz Wagner each scored 12 points to lead Michigan, and Charles Matthews and Duncan Robinson added 11 apiece. The Wolverines won despite 35.6 percent shooting from the floor, including just 8 of 30 from 3-point range.
Houston’s Rob Gray, who hit the game-winning layup in the final seconds in a first-round victory against San Diego State, had 23 points and 10 rebounds. Davis added 17 for the Cougars, who shot just 37 percent.
The game featured 17 lead changes and 12 ties, including 28-28 at halftime. Neither team had a lead bigger than six points, and each side had that advantage.
Davis gave Houston a 60-59 edge with a three-point play at the 2:07 mark; Wagner gave Michigan the lead with a layup at 1:41, and then Davis made two free throws at 44 seconds for a 62-61 lead. But he missed one of two with 25 seconds remaining and then both crucial shots from the charity stripe late.
Looking ahead
Michigan faced the fifth-shortest odds to win the NCAA Tournament before it began, at +1000, and that number should come down as the Wolverines have moved onto the regional semifinals.
