Despite being Michigan’s seventh straight loss, last night’s 57-51 defeat to No.1 Illinois proved to be a change of pace for Michigan. But some of the same problems that have haunted the Wolverines (3-7 Big Ten, 12-12 overall) during their losing streak may have been the difference between an upset and just another loss.

Illinois guard Dee Brown scored 16 points last night to lead the Fighting Illini (10-0, 24-0). But it was seven of his points in particular that swung the balance of the game.

With Michigan clinging to a 39-35 lead with under ten minutes remaining in the second half, Brown turned the game completely around with three steals in four possessions, leading to three layups and a free throw. The final layup and free throw gave Illinois a 42-41 lead. The turnaround was part of a 12-3 run that built up a lead for Illinois that it would not surrender.

“It’s just the way it happened,” Brown said. “I got up in the lanes, just trying to make plays. They just fell my way.”

The plays had been falling Michigan’s way prior to that point, much to the surprise of the 13,751 people in attendance at Crisler Arena. Michigan’s game plan of slowing down the pace to a near crawl worked for three-fourths of the game, giving the unranked Wolverines a chance to threaten the Fighting Illini and their unbeaten record.

“(What) we needed to do for us was to shorten the game,” Michigan coach Tommy Amaker said. “We sold our kids on the idea that, if the game is shortened, it becomes an opportunity for the underdog — or the team less talented in a lot of ways — to have a chance to put game pressure on them.”

The Wolverines milked time on almost every possession, barely even looking for a shot before 10 seconds remained on the shot clock. Despite falling behind early, the strategy seemed to work.

The Wolverines shot 47.5 percent from the field — a combination of open looks down low and clutch 3-point shooting. Sophomore forward Courtney Sims anchored the post, scoring 15 points on 6-for-7 shooting. Outside the paint, Michigan hit 6-of-14 shots from beyond the 3-point arc, led by a 3-for-7 effort from sophomore Dion Harris.

“It was one of my more solid games,” Harris said. “I think I stayed within the game plan. I let things come to me today, and it worked out better for our team.”

Harris finished the game with 21 points and seven rebounds. Harris also turned the ball over just once, a change from the turnover problems that have plagued the Wolverines during their seven-game skid.

“I thought Dion played his heart out,” Amaker said. “I thought he gave us everything he had. … His play was a reason we had a chance to hang in there.”

But Michigan did have difficulty from the free throw line. It shot just 7-for-14 from the charity stripe.

The Fighting Illini flexed their No. 1 ranking early in the game, building an 11-3 lead by the first media timeout. But Michigan was not intimidated and put together a string of runs that kept it in the game.

First came a 5-0 run that chipped into Illinois’s lead and closed the gap to 18-13. Then Michigan went on a 13-1 run in the final 6:39 of the first half — its largest run of the game.

Harris controlled the end of the first half, hitting two 3-pointers and finding junior Graham Brown under the basket for a layup during the stretch.

Harris led all scorers with 12 points in the first half and exceeded his final output from each of the last three games, when he was held under double digits.

The Wolverines took over the lead on a basket from sophomore Courtney Sims and carried a 28-24 advantage into the second half.

The loss may have had its share of heartbreak, but it looked nothing like the last six losses Michigan has suffered, all by more than nine points.

“It will be interesting to see if they continue to play like this or if they go back to their regular style,” Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. “You never know, we might play them in the (Big Ten) Tournament.”