WICHITA, Kan. – They call it March Madness for a reason.
The third-seeded Michigan Wolverines needed a miracle to survive an upset bid from No. 6 seed Houston, and freshman Jordan Poole delivered. Poole's 3-pointer as the clock expired turned a two-point deficit into a one-point victory that propelled Michigan into the Sweet 16.
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MICHIGAN WINS IT AT THE BUZZER!!!! 🚨🚨🚨#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/COR9MEjX59
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 18, 2018
It's the second straight Sweet 16 appearance for John Beilein's team, and for the second year in a row, they've done it as Big Ten Tournament champions.
The Wolverines entered the NCAA Tournament on a nine-game winning streak after taking the conference crown in New York City, but the first weekend was a struggle.
First, Michigan fell behind 10-0 in the first-round game against Montana. The combination of a 10-day layoff, a late tipoff and shot clock issues made for a sloppy game between Michigan and Montana, but in the end, Michigan survived.
Houston provided a much tougher test. The Cougars controlled most of the second half behind guard Rob Gray's offense and went to the free-throw line with a two-point lead and less than four seconds remaining.
Luckily for the Wolverines, Devin Davis -- who had been nine for 10 from the line -- missed both free throws to give Michigan a chance. With 3.6 seconds left, Michigan inbounded the ball to Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, who found Poole, who drilled a 28-footer through contact.
The miracle shot turned what would have been a disappointing end to a promising season into another tournament win for Beilein, and new life for the Wolverines. Teams rarely get a mulligan in the NCAA Tournament, but Michigan got away with not playing its best game.
Abdur-Rahkman played 39 minutes, but never got into a rhythm. He made four of 15 shot attempts and went 0-6 from beyond the arc.
Moritz Wagner scored 12 points, but he wasn't his normal explosive self for most of the game. He hit two big triples to get Michigan back in the game, but he was off his game against Montana, and in the first half against Houston.
As a team, Michigan went 8-for-30 from beyond the arc and committed 22 fouls. Houston has been one of the best teams in the country since early February, so the Wolverines were extremely fortunate to survive without playing their best game.
If Michigan makes more noise in the NCAA Tournament, Poole's shot will be compared to the Trey Burke triple against Kansas in the 2013 Sweet 16. Burke's iconic shot forced overtime, allowing Michigan to beat Kansas and, eventually, march to the national championship game.
Michigan will play the winner of No. 7 seed Texas A&M and No. 2 seed North Carolina in the Sweet 16.