ANN ARBOR, Mich. – And then there was one.

After struggling through the first 30 minutes of game time, Illinois pulled out its 24th win on the same night No. 5 Boston College – the only other undefeated Division-I team – fell to unranked Notre Dame.

With Krush members and other Illini fans speckled throughout the crowd, No. 1 Illinois pulled out a 57-51 victory in Ann Arbor, improving to 24-0 overall and 10-0 in conference.

The win didn’t come easy, with Illinois down 24-28 at the half.

The dip was unexpected as the Illini started strong, leading 18-8 after 8:30 had elapsed. But the Wolverines chipped away at the Illinois advantage with treys and three-point plays.

The Illini shot just 37.5 percent in the first half and turned the ball over three times, while Michigan shot 47.8 percent and pulled down 17 first-half rebounds.

Michigan (12-12, 3-7) spread out Illinois’ guards and denied them from passing the ball inside, limiting their scoring opportunities and running down the shot clock.

“We’ve got to do a better job with the lower half of the league,” said Illinois head coach Bruce Weber. “We’ve got to be ready to play.”

It didn’t look much better in the second half, as Michigan guard Dion Harris added two and forward Courtney Sims converted on a three-point play to bring the Wolverines ahead by seven.

“They didn’t score to start the second half, but we didn’t score either,” Weber said. “I think the best adjustment we made was that we pushed the ball in the second half.”

Dee Brown made the difference for Illinois. Brown had three breakaway layups in 1:30 to tie the game. When he completed a three-point play on the last bucket, it put Illinois up 42-41.

“It’s pretty obvious Dee’s effort and energy in the second half got us back in the game,” Weber said.

Brown led the Illini with 16 points, four assists and four steals.

“I think he’s electrifying,” said Michigan coach Tommy Amaker. “He ignites their team and he does it so many ways. Tonight he did it defensively.”

Michigan’s ability to stay with Illinois – and even control the lead – was largely underestimated, but Amaker said his players learned some important lessons that will help them when they face Michigan State Feb. 12.

“We played one of the better games against them that anybody’s played this year, and I hope we can build on that,” he said.

For Illinois, the win and the position as the only undefeated team are still not a distraction.

“Right now we’re worried about Wisconsin,” Weber said.