Bayern Trupp » in fear for his life,

INDIANAPOLIS -- This time, Jordan Morgan got the ball to bounce the right way -- and Michigan celebrated. A little more than one year after missing a last-second tip-in that would have given the Wolverines a share of the Big Ten regular-season title, the 6-foot-8 forward scored on a layup with 7.9 seconds left to give No. 8 Michigan a 64-63 victory over Illinois in Fridays Big Ten tournament quarterfinals and a shot at another league championship. "Im telling you -- I probably exaggerate -- 10,000 times, at least 2,000 times in five years Jordan Morgan has run that same drill," coach John Beilein said. "Theres a bag to hit him, you still got to catch it in a crowd and keep it up and dunk it if he can. He said he wanted to add a little drama to the game, so he decided to put it up on the rim. Illinois had a chance to win it when Tracy Abrams drove in for a layup, expecting contact, but the ball hit the front of the rim and bounced off. No foul was called. Its about time something went right for the Wolverines (24-7) in this tournament. Since going 3-0 to win the first title in 1998, Michigan has not won more than one game in the annual tourney. The Wolverines later vacated that tourney title because of NCAA infractions, and Michigan has endured everything from an embarrassing 21-turnover game in a 2006 first-round loss to Evan Turners buzzer-beating 40-foot heave, which gave rival Ohio State a 69-68 quarterfinal win in 2010. Things are supposed to be different this year. After ending a 28-year drought between outright regular-season titles with a win at Illinois last week, Michigan came into this weekend with the No. 1 tourney seed for the first time in school history and with a full head of steam -- six straight wins. But it almost happened again. Michigan blew a 13-point second-half lead, scored just six points in the final 7 1/2 minutes and then wound up getting bailed out by Morgan when Big Ten player of the year changed the play coach John Beilein called in the huddle. "I was looking to be aggressive and raised up to shoot and man, the guy guarding me was still chasing me and the big was chasing me too and J-Mo rolled down the lane and he was wide open," Stauskas said. "I hit him with the ball and he laid it in." The Wolverines usual trio led the way. Stauskas had 19 points despite going 4 of 12 from the field and 2 of 10 on 3-pointers against Illinois zone defence, Glenn Robinson III had 15 points and seven rebounds and Caris LeVert finished with 13 points, five rebounds and four assists. Yet it was Morgan, who wound up the star. He made the only two shots he took -- none bigger than the layup he never expected that sent Michigan into Saturdays semifinals against either fourth-seeded Nebraska or fifth-seeded Ohio State, who played in the second quarterfinal of the day. Michigan swept Nebraska this season and won at Ohio State in this seasons only meeting with the Buckeyes. Morgan, who missed the shot that gave Indiana last years outright regular season title, made this one. "As far as catching it, I just put it on the rim and got a nice roll," he said matter-of-factly. Ninth-seeded Illinois (19-14) was on the cusp of pulling off a major upset after finally retaking a 59-58 lead on Rices driving layup with 4:53 left. The Illini allowed just one 3-pointer, one free throw but couldnt stop Morgans layup the rest of the way. Abrams and Rayvonte Rice each finished with 11 points. Kendrick Nunn had 10 points as the Illini lost for only the second time in seven games. "Its obviously an uncontested shot that I probably could make," Abrams said. "We obviously wanted to get that one in and we wanted to win, but there was a lot of other plays that we can account back to that we could have did different or could have got an extra rebound." Illinois zone defence changed game. Following a media timeout with 11:26 left, Stauskas made two free throws to give the Wolverines a 55-44 lead. The Illini answered with 10 straight points and finally took the lead on Rices driving layup with 4:53 left. Michigan tied the score at 61 with 3:10 to go, but all the Wolverines could muster the rest of the way was one free throw from Stauskas until the surprised Morgan got the right roll. "Well, were thrilled to get that win because as you can see, as Illinois has shown in their last six games, how well the program has played after a tough January," Beilein said. 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Discount MLB Jerseys . Johan Franzen had two goals and two assists, Gustav Nyquist a goal and three assists and David Legwand a goal and two assists in the Red Wings 7-4 win over the New Jersey Devils.PRETORIA, South Africa - More than a year after he killed his girlfriend, Oscar Pistorius is expected to finally answer questions about why he shot Reeva Steenkamp through a toilet door when his murder trial resumes this week and his defence lawyers begin presenting the evidence they hope will save the Olympic athlete from going to prison for 25 years to life. Pistorius account that he killed Steenkamp by mistake is going to "stand or fall" with his testimony in court, a legal expert says. Charged with premeditated murder for Steenkamps death, Pistorius and his defence team say he will testify to counter accusations that he intentionally killed Steenkamp by firing four times through the door in his bathroom before dawn on Valentines Day last year, hitting her in the head, arm and hip. Pistorius says he mistook Steenkamp for a dangerous intruder hiding in a toilet cubicle. South Africa has no trial by jury, meaning Judge Thokozile Masipa will pronounce Pistorius guilty or not guilty of murder, and Pistorius has the chance to convince her that he did not intentionally kill the 29-year-old model. But Pistorius testimony also gives prosecutors the chance to cross-examine the celebrated double-amputee runner and scrutinize every aspect of his story. Facing a possible life sentence, his questioning by chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel could be the biggest challenge yet for the 27-year-old Pistorius, a disabled athlete who fought for years to win the right to compete alongside able-bodied runners and made history by running at the 2012 Olympics. Brian Webber, one of Pistorius lawyers, said they had no choice but to put Pistorius on the stand. Legal experts say its a risk Pistorius defence has to take. In a rare comment after the prosecution closed its case, Pistorius said "we have a lot ahead of us." Pistorius often reacted emotionally to details of Steenkamps death in the four weeks of prosecution-led testimony at his trial. He retched loudly and vomited in court when a pathologist described Steenkamps grisly injuries and cried and frequently covered his ears while sittiing in the dock in an apparent attempt to block out graphic testimony.dddddddddddd During his own testimony, he will have to describe in depth his fatal shooting of Steenkamp. "He cant ignore it," Marius du Toit, a criminal defence lawyer and former state prosecutor in South Africa who is observing the trial, said of Pistorius testifying. "He has to get into the box and confirm his version and be open to cross-examination. And this matter is going to stand or fall with that." Defendants in South Africa have the right to remain silent but because he has admitted killing Steenkamp, Pistorius is under pressure to tell the court why he decided to shoot through the door with his 9 mm pistol without knowing — in his version — who was on the other side. Prosecutors charge that Pistorius murdered Steenkamp after a fight and he must dispel their accusations that he intentionally shot her as she hid behind the locked door, legal experts say. Pistorius likely wont be the first witness the defence calls on Monday, but he should take the stand straight after pathologist Prof. Jan Botha gives evidence. Pistorius has not yet spoken publicly about the shooting, only giving his side in a written statement at his bail hearing a year ago and in court documents presented at the start of the trial last month. In those statements, Pistorius claims to have been in a loving relationship with Steenkamp but, in fear for his life, he shot at what he thought was an intruder after hearing a window being opened in his bathroom and then a noise inside the cubicle. Even if he is acquitted of murder, Pistorius faces a negligent killing conviction which can carry a five-year prison sentence. His testimony must show that he acted reasonably when he shot four times from close range. "A reasonable man most probably would not have fired four shots through the door," lawyer and observer du Toit said. "His actions were definitely not reasonable and I think thats his biggest problem." ___ Gerald Imray is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GeraldImrayAP ' ' '