Updated: Evan Turner crushes Michigan's heart, hits a last-second 3-pointer to beat the Wolverines

Ohio State's Evan Turner (21) celebrates his last-second, game-winning 3-pointer with Jon Diebler, left, and David Lighty on Friday. Ohio State beat Michigan, 69-68. (Photo: Associated Press)

“Amazed,” Michigan sophomore guard Stu Douglass said. “It almost seemed like it just dropped in like it was a 10-foot floater. I was expecting it to hit the backboard or go right or left but it just goes over my head, right on line and straight in.

“It’s still a little bit of a blur.”

There’s a reason Turner’s nickname is “The Villain.” For Michigan, until the end of time for that shot, he will be among the most hated Buckeyes.

He left Michigan stunned, in disbelief. That much was evident on the court, with DeShawn Sims standing at the free throw line not moving, with Laval Lucas-Perry shuffling off the court in shock.

With Douglass, who tried to get a hand in Turner’s face, holding his arm in the air for what felt like forever as Turner ran to the corner of the court and Ohio State’s players mobbed him.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Michigan sophomore guard Zack Novak said before sighing and taking a deep breath. “It’s terrible.”

There’s a reason Turner is considered the front-runner for national player of the year awards. Friday afternoon, he showed it from almost 40 feet away.

Yet in some ways none of this should be a surprise.

Everyone in Conseco Fieldhouse had to know Turner was going to get the ball. He’s meant everything to Ohio State (25-7) this year and is the reason the Buckeyes are two wins from a Big Ten tournament title and possible a No. 1 seed in NCAA tournament.

For most of the game, Michigan (15-17) did well against Turner. The Wolverines threw multiple defenders and defenses at him, forcing him to give up the ball and find teammates.

Even Turner noticed. And then he wondered why on the final play he was open.

“I was surprised,” Turner said. “The whole game they were trapping me and doing all this crazy stuff and then they just lay off me.

“You know, it’s too bad for them.”

Michigan coach John Beilein decided against guarding the inbounds pass or anything in the Ohio State backcourt, instead wanting to make sure Michigan didn’t get beat on a long pass. He called for an extended version of the 1-3-1 zone, which allowed Turner to catch the ball, take some dribbles and set both his feet once he crossed half court.

In doing so and with NBA great Michael Jordan in attendance, it gave Turner his signature moment.

“I don’t think Evan Turner is going to hit a half-court shot better than anybody else is going to hit a half-court shot,” Beilein said. “We wanted to limit that type of opportunity.”

They didn’t. Instead they gave Turner the opening he needed to make the shot and change what had been one of the best games Michigan played this season into a loss.

In hindsight, Michigan junior guard Manny Harris said, maybe the Wolverines should have done something different on the final play - even if making half-court shots to win the game is an improbable feat.

“I feel like we did a good job. If we had knew he would take that shot regardless we should have doubled or something but we didn’t know that,” Harris said. “Coach drew up a good scheme and he just made an incredible shot.”

It also nullified Michigan’s comeback led by Harris. The Wolverines rallied back from 13 points down midway through the second half to take a 68-66 lead after Harris - who scored 22 of his 26 points in the second half - hit a fadeaway floater over Ohio State’s Dallas Lauderdale with 2.2 seconds left.

At the time, it looked like Michigan had won. Until Turner stole it with the last of his 18 points in the most dramatic, unbelievable, unexpected way possible.

“It’s funny, because I was so mad kind of at how we had played throughout the course of the game,” Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. “But as he let it go I thought, damn, that thing has got a chance to go in. As it kept going, going, going, boom, went in, and, obviously, I’m not sure it was supposed to go in with how we had played for 38 minutes, 57.8 seconds.

“But fortunately it did.”

Unless you’re Michigan.

“It was a movie,” senior guard Anthony Wright said. “Big rivalry, Michigan-Ohio State. But it’s a tough way to end the season, definitely.”

Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.