WATCH: Michigan guard Dug McDaniel pushes Juwan Howard off the court as Wolverines' struggles continue following Purdue loss
Michigan is on an abysmal run this season, and coach Juwan Howard is not happy. A questionable foul call on the Wolverines' Tarris Reed in the game against Purdue sent Howard over the edge.
The 51-year-old was seen walking onto the floor to say something to the officials. However, he was stopped in his tracks by sophomore guard Dug McDaniel, who pushed him back to the bench.
The Wolverines raced to a 22-15 lead. However, Purdue took over towards the end of the first half and gradually increased the gap.
Dug McDaniel led the Wolverines with 19 points, three rebounds, and six assists. Minari Burnett added 12 points with Terrance Williams II putting up 11 points.
With the win, the Boilermakers inched closer to a second straight conference championship win. Meanwhile, the Wolverines are bottom of the conference with a 3-14 record and five straight losses.
Michigan fans fail to show up for the team
After the loss, the salt on the wound for the Wolverines was perhaps the lack of blue and maize in the stands. While this was an away game for Purdue, their fans completely took over the arena.
About half of the Crisler Center was filled with fans in black and gold, chanting and cheering for the visitors. Chants of "Whose house? Our house!" echoed throughout.
The players took note of this as forward Terrance Williams II shared later to the media:
"You know, just playing a game, we're going to play on the court, but it felt like Mackey Arena, straight up. We go on road trips, you know, their fanbase no matter what the record is, they will be all their fans and a little bit of Michigan fans. Today felt more like 75% Purdue fans, 25% Michigan."
Eight days earlier, when Michigan State visited Crisler, a similar situation was seen as fans were decked in green, making it seem like the Wolverines were playing an away game.
But all of this has not deterred coach Howard, who said:
"I know you've heard this line before, but it's real. We're going to keep competing or die trying. That's how we operate here at Michigan. ... There's a sense of pride, a sense of toughness, and a level of competitiveness we're going to display each and every game."