WATCH: Juwan Howard reacts to upset win over No. 11 Wisconsin
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines basketball head coach Juwan Howard, senior forward Terrance Williams II and sophomore forward Tarris Reed Jr. met with the media following their teams 72-68 win over No. 11 Wisconsin Wednesday night at Crisler Center. Watch video of Howard in the player at the top of the screen and the players in the embed below.
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Howard turned 51 years old Wednesday, so it felt even better for the Michigan coach to lead his team to victory.
“It feels great,” Howard said. “It was a very nice gift that the fellas said after the game in the locker room. They basically said, hey, this is a birthday gift for you. And it’s nice to know that our guys put a smile on their face and will get a chance to sleep on their pillow. And hopefully the food will taste a lot better tonight than it did some other nights. And at the same time, to be able to wake up with a smile on their face, because it’s been a grind — and we will continue to grind.”
Wisconsin went on a 9-0 run in the second half, reminiscent to some big surges Michigan has allowed opponents to enjoy after halftime in recent games. Howard said following Saturday’s loss to Rutgers that doubt crept in among his players, but it was different Wednesday. His team responded, was able to re gain the lead and come out on top.
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“That’s a great question,” the Michigan coach said of why tonight was different. “Every question you ask is a great question. It’s more about the mental stability, and I wanted our guys … being so competitive and caring, which they should, at times you will have emotions that go throughout the game. Basketball is a very emotional game. When teams make runs, there are times when trust is lost. There are times when doubt creeps in. But we’ve talked about this over and over, whether you’re in practice, in film sessions, show it on film. But tonight, it was a different story, and it’s great that our guys responded when we needed to.”
Michigan shot 45 percent from the field, including 7-of-20 from three point range. The Wolverines held Wisconsin to 46 percent shooting, forced 12 turnovers and allowed only 7 offensive rebounds.
The Wolverines are back in action Saturday night at Nebraska, before heading to Illinois and then hosting Michigan State.
