A battle between star point guards went to Michigan's Derrick Walton Jr. as his seventh-seeded Wolverines overcame the No. 10 Oklahoma State Cowboys, 92-91, in Friday's opener in the Midwest Region. An explosive second half blew the top off Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.Walton got the best of Jawun Evans in the offensive classic and early contender for best game of the 2017 bracket, posting a double-double with a game-high 26 points and 11 assists, helping the Wolverines to shoot 51.8 percent from the floor. He was one of four Michigan players in double digits, as D.J. Wilson added 19 and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Zak Irvin pitched in 16 apiece.As for Evans, his best Chris Paul impersonation with 23 points and 12 assists wasn't enough even though the Cowboys shot 54.7 percent from the floor. He was one of five on his team in double digits.ESPN's John Gasaway documented the high-octane pace of the second half:Walton and Michigan, though, got hot from deep to create the game-deciding gap:Michigan (ranked 30th in RPI at ESPN.com) entered the tourney a Cinderella of sorts after a scary plane mishap before going on to win the Big Ten tournament, the program's first conference title since 1998. Oklahoma State (39th in RPI) could claim similar status, though less dramatic, after starting 0-6 in Big 12 play before bouncing back.Observers rightfully went into Friday's encounter expecting a shootout given Michigan averaged 75 points per game and Oklahoma State 86. A bracket famous for its madness, though, produced the exact opposite to start. Oklahoma State had four turnovers in the game's first five minutes and compensated by putting the clamps down on the defensive end of the court.Justin Rose of WXYZ in Detroit and Tom Eschen of WEYI explained how the Cowboys were doing this and why it was unexpected:Call it a feeling-out period for both sides as they tried to figure out what worked.Once they did, the fireworks began:Those were Cowboys highlights, but the Wolverines certainly had their moments, such as this four-point play by Abdur-Rahkman:By the half, the game boasted eight lead changes with Michigan ahead 41-40. Evans and Walton only combined for a 4-of-18 mark from the field, but the 11 assists between them spoke to their impact. That said, ESPN Stats & Info pointed out the Wolverines were 18-3 this year when scoring 70 points, a mark the game seemed sure to pass.The fireworks continued in the second half as both teams shot better than 60 percent by the 10-minute mark to go alongside 15 lead changes. The pace was prone to give an invested fan on either side a heart attack, while casual observers were happy to grab some popcorn and watch.ESPN's Jay Williams was one of many bringing the hype:With less than three minutes left in regulation, Oklahoma State was scoring 1.47 points per possession in the second half and Michigan 1.63, according to Gasaway.Evans, on cue, dropped a dime capable of making an NBA point guard blush:He then claimed a set of ankles with one of the highlights of the tournament:Despite charging down the court several times in the waning seconds and helping close the gap, Evans couldn't will the Cowboys all the way back while playing the fouling game.With the win, Michigan advances and will play either second-seeded Louisville or a true potential Cinderella in No. 15 Jacksonville State. There, Walton will need to continue his epic tear to advance.Stats and information courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified. Advanced metrics courtesy of ESPN.com.
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