On Saturday Feb. 2 in front of a raucous home crowd, the third-ranked Indiana Hoosiers (19-2) welcomed top-ranked conference rival Michigan (20-1) into Assembly Hall. After 40 invigorating minutes that nearly matched the Super Bowl for intrigue and drama, the Hoosiers deservedly came out on top by an 81-73 tally.

Thanks to a superhuman effort from phenom Cody Zeller, the Hoosiers always kept their cool in the game’s biggest moments. Indiana made its first six shots, and raced out to a 26-11 lead. However, the Wolverines were able to respond thanks to an inspiring effort from future NBA star Trey Burke, and pulled to 36-32 at the break when Burke made a buzzer-beating step-back three.  The game got even more intriguing when the Wolverines pulled even at 40 early in the second half. The rowdy crowd of 17,472 could hardly muster a whisper during the ensuing timeout, but Indiana responded with a huge 11-0 run. To Michigan’s credit, the visitors again fought back and cut the lead to 61-58 with less than five minutes left. But, Zeller made several monstrous put-back dunks to prevent Michigan from getting any closer, and clutch free throw shooting sealed it for the Hoosiers.

When you look at the stats and the intangibles, it is remarkable that Michigan even kept it close. Indiana enjoyed a substantial 36-22 advantage on the boards thanks to double-doubles from Zeller and Christian Watford, and they also made a sterling 22 of 25 free throws. For the game, Indiana shot 52 percent, and made seven of 18 three point attempts. Incredibly, all five Indiana starters scored in double figures. Lastly, the pro-Hoosier fans on Saturday were as deafening as any crowd I have seen this year, and made it nearly impossible for an opposing team to communicate on the court.

That speaks volumes about the resolve of Michigan, who could have easily folded when trailing 26-11. Thanks to the efforts of Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr., who combined for 43 points, Michigan willed its way back into the mix. For the game, the Wolverines shot 43 percent, a solid figure against such an imposing defense. With the exception of an abysmal game from Glenn Robinson III, the Wolverines played with poise and determination befitting of a title contender. If they had reached the foul line as often as Indiana (the Hoosiers had a 25-8 FT edge), we could be talking about a different outcome.

Unfortunately for Michigan, Indiana played its best all-around game of the season on the biggest stage. With millions watching in a primetime ESPN showcase, Indiana played like the best team in America. With solid perimeter defense, strong interior offense and a tremendous home advantage, the Hoosiers probably would have defeated anyone in that situation. The teams will meet again in Ann Arbor, Michigan on March 10. If that game is half as exciting as Saturday’s clash, we should be in for a treat.

In the bigger picture, each squad affirmed itself as a strong Final Four contender, and my opinions of each team were strengthened. I was not expecting Michigan to respond well on the big stage, but they gave a strong enough effort to beat all but a few teams in the nation. Meanwhile, Indiana proved its mettle down the stretch, and dispelled fears about their lack of late-game execution in previous losses to Butler and Wisconsin.  I expect at least one of these Big 10 powers to reach the Final Four, and there is the possibility that they both make it (Indiana is #1, Michigan is #3). As for Saturday’s epic clash, a quote from Indiana coach Tom Crean sums it up.

“Sometimes in these situations with all the hoopla and the hype, the game doesn’t live up to it. This one did,” Crean said. “We felt the defense we played last year was what Michigan remembered and we wanted to give them something different because we wanted to prove that we could defend that well against a team that really is that good and they are. Let’s hope we’re all playing again at the end of the season for something really big.”