Michigan Vs. Illinois Final Score: Wolverines Grab 70-61 Victory Over Illini

Read More: Zack Novak (G - Michigan), Brandon Paul (G - Illinois), Tyler Griffey (F - Illinois), Tim Hardaway Jr (G - Michigan), Evan Smotrycz (F - Michigan), Trey Burke (G - Michigan), Illinois Fighting Illini, Michigan Wolverines

The Michigan Wolverines picked up its 19th win of the season on Sunday afternoon with a 70-61 victory over the Illinois Fighting Illini. The Wolverines are now 19-7 overall and 9-4 in Big Ten play. That leaves them half of a game behind the Ohio St. Buckeyes and the Michigan St. Spartans for the lead in the conference standings.

Tim Hardaway Jr. had a team-high 15 points to go with three rebounds and three assists for the Wolverines. Trey Burke added 14 points while Zack Novak, who went over 1,000 career points in the previous game, chipped in 12 points. Evan Smotrycz contributed 13 points from off the bench. The team shot a crisp 50 percent from the field and hit on 7-of-16 three-pointers.

The Illini relied on Brandon Paul (21 points) and Tyler Griffey (18 points off the bench) to lead the offense, but the team collectively managed to shoot 38.9 percent from the field.

Michigan is off until next Saturday when the Buckeyes visit the Crisler Center. The Wolverines fell to Ohio State earlier in the season on the road, 64-49.

For more on the Michigan Wolverines, check out Maize n Brew. You can also head over to SB Nation’s main NCAA Basketball hub at SBNation.com/NCAA-Basketball.