CHAMPAIGN — The relatively undersized Michigan men’s basketball team was probably relieved to hear on Wednesday night that 7-foot-1 Illinois center Mike Tisdale wouldn’t be starting for just the second time all season.

But whatever solace the Wolverines found didn’t last long. Seconds after checking in early in the first half, Tisdale posted up underneath the basket, where Fighting Illini forward Mike Davis found him for the easy layup. Michigan had trouble dealing with Illinois’ height advantage all night long, and the Wolverines fell on the road, 54-52.

“I let them get some opportunities that they probably shouldn’t have, Tisdale especially,” Michigan redshirt freshman center Jordan Morgan said after the game. “At the same time, I thought I can play with them. I’m not intimidated by bigger size or them being seniors.”

Michigan (6-8 Big Ten, 16-11 overall) got off to a quick start in the contest, as reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Week Tim Hardaway Jr. put on an impressive shooting display early. Hardaway registered seven points over the first four minutes of the game, including an and-1 on a flashy drive to the hoop. But after the Wolverines opened up an 11-5 lead, the Illini (7-6, 17-9) went on a 14-4 run and eventually took an 11-point lead into halftime.

In the second half, Morgan made his presence felt on both ends of the court after making some adjustments. And it was a battle in the paint to the end.

Tisdale was held to just five second-half points, en route to 12 on the night. Morgan also didn’t miss a field goal in that half, also finishing with 12 points. Tisdale registered eight rebounds on the night, while Morgan had seven.

But whatever Morgan brought to Michigan’s inside game, it wasn’t enough to offset the Wolverines’ miserable shooting performance. The team shot just 2-for-18 from beyond the arc — including one make from junior guard Stu Douglass (1-for-8 from 3-point territory) and one from freshman forward Evan Smotrycz (1-for-5).

Nonetheless, Michigan made the game interesting in the second half, bringing the contest within one point on a drive to the hoop by sophomore point guard Darius Morris with 15.8 seconds remaining. On the next play, Smotrycz fouled Bill Cole in the remaining seconds, who hit one of his two free throws.

In the Wolverines' final possession, Smotrycz missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer with four seconds remaining. Then Douglass got the offensive rebound and missed his own 3-point attempt as the clock expired.

“That (shot) hung up there for — it seemed like — 10 seconds,” Douglass said. “I thought it was going in … I knew I had to get it up there. I mess around maybe a little too much in the gym, so I worked on that maybe a little bit too much.”

Senior point guard Demetri McCamey was Illinois’ leading scorer on the night, tallying 18 points on 7-for-15 shooting from the field, including four 3-pointers. But Michigan limited his ability to distribute the ball, as the Wolverines held one of the nation’s top assist-men to only one on the night.

McCamey’s counterpart, Morris, put forth another well-rounded effort, finishing with 11 points, seven assists and six boards. But to no surprise, Morris claims he wasn’t focused on the much-hyped matchup against McCamey at the point.

“It’s never about individuals,” Morris said. “It’s Michigan versus Illinois. (McCamey’s) a good player … But I really don’t measure by that. If you want to say anything, their team won, so he won.”

With the loss, Michigan’s chances of a berth in the NCAA Tournament took a serious blow. Even though there are just four games left in the regular season, Michigan coach John Beilein and his crew are still determined to make a push.

“We’re looking forward to Iowa, and we have no doubts we can win out the next four games and go onto the Big Ten Tournament and make a run,” Douglass said.