Wolverines send Illini message
By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer
ANN ARBOR — Michigan wore blue uniforms at home, not its traditional white gear, to fire up its players and send Illinois a message.
It seemed to work.
D.J. Wilson had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists, leading the Wolverines to a 66-57 win over the Fighting Illini.
“We weren’t the white-collar team today,” Wilson said Saturday.
That was a thinly veiled shot at Illinois center Maverick Morgan, who called the Wolverines a “white-collar team traditionally,” on Jan. 11 after a 16-point win over them.
Michigan’s Derrick Walton had 11 of his 13 points in the second half and grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds and Zak Irvin scored 15 for the Wolverines (13-7, 3-4 Big Ten).
The Fighting Illini (12-8, 2-5) didn’t have a player in double digits until 4:23 was left, when Malcom Hill made a jumper. Hill finished with 16 points.
The Wilson-led Wolverines took control with a 13-3 run midway through the first half. The 6-foot-10 junior forward helped Michigan turn a one-point deficit into a 22-13 lead with 10 points in fewer than eight minutes.