CBB: Trent Frazier ices Illinois' 93-85 win at Michigan

15th ranked Illinois improved to 20-8 with a 93-85 win at Michigan on Sunday afternoon in Ann Arbor. Trent Frazer iced the game with a clutch 3-pointer in the final minute, while Kofi Cockburn and Alfonso Plummer paced the Fighting Illini with potent scoring performances. Illinois moved into a tie with Purdue for second place in the Big Ten, only a game behind Wisconsin for the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament. Michigan fell to 15-12 with the loss and remain squarely on the bubble with one week to go in the regular season as Juwan Howard awaits his return from suspension.

Brad Underwood's team jumped out to a quick start as Plummer exploded for 23 points on 7/11 shooting from the field in the first half. The Utah transfer cooled off in the second half but Cockburn racked up a game-high 27 points and seven rebounds to put a stranglehold on the Michigan defense. Frazier finished with 17 points on 3/3 from beyond the arc including the game-sealing shot with 45.2 second left. Caleb Houstan knocked down a 3-pointer with 2:03 remaining to bring the Wolverines within 82-80 before Cockburn and Frazier clinched the win with back to back buckets.

The Michigan freshman forward had a second straight 20-point performance with a pair of 3-pointers, while DeVante’ Jones scored a team-high 25 points and 10 assists in the loss. Houstan and Jones helped keep Michigan within striking distance, combining for 20 points in the first half. After leading 46-38 at halftime and extending it to 15 points, Illinois held on for a 5th consecutive win over the Wolverines dating back to 2019. The Fighting Illini shot 71% from the field in the first half and 10/17 from 3-point range. Andre Curbelo added 12 points, three assists and three rebounds off the bench.

Hunter Dickinson had 13 points and 11 rebounds but couldn’t limit Cockburn in the post as the Illinois center consistently got great position in the paint and scored against an inferior resistance. Moussa Diabate had 12 points and five rebounds in his first game since being suspended following the postgame altercation at Wisconsin. Illinois can potentially share the Big Ten regular season championship if they can handle Penn State and Iowa next week. Michigan needs wins as Michigan State and Iowa come to town prior to a regular season finale at Ohio State on Sunday afternoon.

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Photo Credit: Associated Press.