NEW YORK — There is plenty of evidence to counter the notion that playing in one of the First Four games is a real disadvantage, starting with Virginia Commonwealth’s run to the Final Four in 2011 and continuing with Round of 64 victories for one play-in participant each year, all the way through Wichita State’s upset of Arizona on Thursday.
Still, Michigan sure looked like it ran out of gas down the stretch in Friday night’s 70-63 loss to Notre Dame.
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The Wolverines led by as many as 13 points in the first half and had a 41-29 advantage at intermission.