Back from layoff, No. 3 Michigan tops No. 21 Wisconsin (15 February 2021, for {EMAIL})

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Isaiah Livers scored 20 points and Hunter Dickinson had a double-double as No. 3 Michigan returned from a three-week layoff and rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat No. 21 Wisconsin 67-59 on Sunday. Michigan (14-1, 9-1 Big Ten) scored the game’s final eight points and pulled ahead for good with 1:46 left on a tiebreaking putback from Dickinson, who had 11 points and 15 rebounds. Wisconsin (15-7, 9-6) missed its last seven shots. The Wolverines hadn’t played since a 70-53 victory at Purdue on Jan. 22. Michigan announced the next day that it was pausing all athletic activities after several people linked to the athletic department tested positive for a COVID-19 variant that transmits at a higher rate. D’Mitrik Trice scored 16 points, Aleem Ford had 15 and Jonathan Davis had 11 for Wisconsin. Michigan’s rust was apparent early as Wisconsin led by as many as 14 in the first half and took a 39-27 lead into the locker room. Wisconsin shot 53.8% overall and went 5 of 7 from 3-point range in the first half against a Michigan team that came in holding opponents to 37.4% shooting, third best in Division I. Ford led the way by scoring 11 points in the first 8 1/2 minutes. But the Badgers shot 7 of 28 in the second half and missed their last 11 3-point attempts. Wisconsin led 42-32 early in the second half when Brad Davison drove to the basket and his elbow hit Michigan’s Mike Smith in the face. Michigan’s bench showed its displeasure and wanted a flagrant foul called on the play — but the only call the Wolverines got was a technical foul against their bench. Trice made one of the two ensuing free throws, but the incident seemed to fire up Michigan. Smith responded with a three-point play on the Wolverines’ next possession as Michigan began to claw its way back. Franz Wagner sparked Michigan's comeback by scoring 10 of his 14 points in the second half. BIG PICTURE Michigan: The Wolverines showed their toughness by finding a way to win after struggling early. Michigan's defense improved and Dickinson dominated the boards down the stretch. Wisconsin: The 3-point shooting that helped Wisconsin build its early lead let the Badgers down once the game got tight. The Badgers needed more from their starting five, who combined to score 10 points and shoot 2 of 16 in the second half. POLL IMPLICATIONS Michigan figures to stay at No. 3 when the AP Top 25 comes out Monday. Wisconsin could fall a couple of spots. UP NEXT Michigan hosts No. 25 Rutgers on Thursday. Wisconsin hosts No. 15 Iowa on Thursday. ___ Follow Steve Megargee at ___ More AP college basketball: and Daily digest [Back from layoff, No. 3 Michigan tops No. 21 Wisconsin]( [Back from layoff, No. 3 Michigan tops No. 21 Wisconsin]( [MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Isaiah Livers scored 20 points and Hunter Dickinson had a double-double as No. 3 Michigan returned from a three-week layoff and rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat No. 21 Wisconsin 67-59 on Sunday. Michigan (14-1, 9-1 Big Ten) scored the game’s final eight points and...]( [Average US virus cases dip below 100K for 1st time in months]( [Average US virus cases dip below 100K for 1st time in months]( [ATLANTA (AP) — Average daily new coronavirus cases in the United States dipped below 100,000 in recent days for the first time in months, but experts cautioned Sunday that infections remain high and precautions to slow the pandemic must remain in place. The seven-day rolling average of new...]( [Arkansas woman beats COVID-19 after doctors said she had hours to live]( [Arkansas woman beats COVID-19 after doctors said she had hours to live]( [BENTON, Ark. (KARK) — An Arkansas woman hospitalized with COVID-19 in November finally returned home last week after 84 days. After experiencing cold-like symptoms at the beginning of November, Rhonda Withem was diagnosed with COVID-19. Her family noticed her condition was worsening and called...]( [Police say Nicki Minaj’s father killed by hit-and-run driver]( [Police say Nicki Minaj’s father killed by hit-and-run driver]( [MINEOA, N.Y. (AP) — The 64-year-old father of rapper Nicki Minaj has died after being struck by a hit-and-run driver in New York, police said. Robert Maraj was walking along a road in Mineola on Long Island at 6:15 p.m. Friday when he was hit by a car that kept going, Nassau County police said....]( - Advertisement - Top stories [Community mourns loss of longtime Comstock Park coach]( [Community mourns loss of longtime Comstock Park coach]( [PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Students, faculty and community members gathered Sunday afternoon to pay tribute to a beloved Comstock Park High School wrestling coach. James "Jim" Olson died...]( [On Parkland anniversary, Biden calls for tougher gun laws]( [On Parkland anniversary, Biden calls for tougher gun laws]( [TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Sorrow reverberated across the country Sunday as Americans, including President Joe Biden, joined a Florida community in remembering the 17 lives lost three years ago in...]( [Police seek 3rd suspect in cellphone store robbery in Kent Co.]( [Police seek 3rd suspect in cellphone store robbery in Kent Co.]( [GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Two people were arrested in Grand Rapids and a third suspect had not yet been found after an attempted cellphone store robbery in Byron Township, authorities say. Kent...]( [Wintry weather blanketing US making rare dip to Gulf Coast]( [Wintry weather blanketing US making rare dip to Gulf Coast]( [DALLAS (AP) — Snow and ice blanketed large swaths of the U.S. on Sunday, prompting canceled flights, making driving perilous and reaching into areas as far south as Texas’ Gulf Coast, where snow...]( In case you missed it... [Meghan Markle pregnant with second child]( [Meghan Markle pregnant with second child]( [(NEXSTAR) – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expecting their second child, according to multiple reports. In a statement shared to the Associated Press, a spokesperson for the parents of one-year-old Archie confirmed the happy news: “We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The...]( [UK study finds new variant may be up to 70% more deadly]( [UK study finds new variant may be up to 70% more deadly]( [LONDON — U.K. government scientific advisers say the COVID-19 variant now predominant in the country may be up to 70% more deadly than previous variants, underscoring concerns about how mutations may change the characteristics of the disease. The findings from the New and Emerging Respiratory...]( [WATCH: ‘Big one’ comes early at Daytona]( [WATCH: ‘Big one’ comes early at Daytona]( [(AP) — The big one hit only 14 laps into the Daytona 500, triggered when Aric Almirola turned into pole-winner Alex Bowman and started a 16-car pileup. Just minutes later, the race was stopped by lightning and fans who had been socially distanced in the grandstands instead had to seek shelter in...]( [Virus may never go away but could change into mild annoyance]( [Virus may never go away but could change into mild annoyance]( [NEW DELHI (AP) — What if COVID-19 never goes away? Experts say it’s likely that some version of the disease will linger for years. But what it will look like in the future is less clear. Will the coronavirus, which has already killed more than 2 million people worldwide, eventually be eliminated...]( [Feedback]( [Unsubscribe]( [About us]( © 1998-2017 woodtv.com | Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. | 120 College Ave SE Grand Rapids, MI 49503 To ensure you receive these emails in the future, please add wood@publisher-news.com to your address book, contacts or list of safe senders.