For a fleeting moment, it appeared as though the No. 24 Michigan Wolverines were about to cruise to an easy victory Wednesday night. But this is the Big Ten, where smooth sailing is a myth and chaos reigns supreme. After a nail-biting finish, Michigan escaped with an 80-76 win over the Oregon Ducks, preserving their perfect home record and notching a crucial conference victory.

Michigan (17-5, 9-2 Big Ten) now sits tied with in-state rival Michigan State for second place in the conference, trailing only Purdue. Oregon (15-7, 5-7 Big Ten), despite a valiant effort, couldn’t capitalize on Michigan’s late-game offensive meltdown.

Danny Wolf rediscovered his mojo with a double-double (15 points, 12 rebounds), while Will Tschetter provided a crucial spark off the bench, leading all Wolverines with 17 points. Vlad Goldin patrolled the paint with his usual seven-foot presence, contributing 15 points and making life difficult for the Ducks inside.

The game began with Michigan’s offense looking as frigid as the Ann Arbor air, missing five of their first six shots as Oregon jumped out to a 7-2 lead. Then, enter Tschetter, stage left. The junior forward drained a three-pointer, igniting an 8-0 Michigan run that gave them their first lead. Another 11-point surge later in the half stretched the Wolverines’ advantage to double digits at 26-16.

But like a rollercoaster, the momentum shifted quickly. An 8-0 Ducks run late in the half trimmed the deficit to a single point before Michigan regained its composure, taking a 41-36 lead into the locker room.

Wolf dominated the first half, racking up 10 points and 8 rebounds, while Tschetter matched his output with 10 points off the bench. Oregon’s Jackson Shelstad led all scorers at the break with 12.

Michigan looked to have regained control early in the second half, extending their lead to 53-43 within the first four minutes. By the 12-minute mark, the Wolverines had built their largest lead of the night at 64-50, thanks to efficient inside scoring and a steady parade to the free-throw line.

Then, the wheels wobbled, then threatened to fall off completely.

Michigan’s offense inexplicably vanished, and the turnovers began to pile up. Tre Donaldson coughed the ball up on consecutive possessions, fueling a 6-0 Oregon run. The Wolverines clung to a 10-point cushion for a while, but the Ducks refused to go away. With under eight minutes remaining, Oregon had whittled the lead down to just four.

Over the final 12 minutes, Michigan committed seven turnovers and made a grand total of two field goals—yes, two—but somehow managed to stay afloat by getting to the free-throw line just enough. As Oregon closed to within 74-72 in the final minutes, Goldin delivered one of those two crucial buckets, a layup that gave Michigan some much-needed breathing room before the game devolved into a free-throw shooting contest. Michigan ultimately sealed the deal at the line, escaping with an 80-76 victory.

Michigan finished the night shooting 42.9% from the field and a chilly 9-for-27 from three-point range. Defensively, Michigan held the Ducks to 43.3% shooting and matched them from beyond the arc (9-for-27). The key difference? Free throws. The Wolverines connected on 17-of-21 attempts from the charity stripe, while Oregon only went to the line 11 times all game.

Turnovers and late-game offensive droughts remain a significant concern, but as they say, a win is a win—and in the cutthroat world of the Big Ten, that’s all that matters.

Next up, Michigan hits the road to take on Indiana on Saturday. And if recent history tells us anything, Wolverine fans might want to keep the stress ball handy.