ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Ohio State fell behind in the first half, was unable to catch up to Michigan after that and lost 56-51 in the Crisler Center tonight, falling out of first place in the Big Ten.

Columbus native and Northland High School graduate Trey Burke led the 17th-ranked Wolverines (20-7, 10-4) with 17 points, including their last two baskets on driving runners in the final 1:18 as they held off an Ohio State rally. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 13 points and Jordan Morgan 11 for Michigan, which improved its home record to 15-0 this season.

Deshaun Thomas led sixth-ranked Ohio State (22-5, 10-4) with 25 points, his high in a Big Ten game. Jared Sullinger added 14 points, 10 in the second half as the Buckeyes finally looked inside to him after settling for too many perimeter shots before that.

Michigan and Ohio State are a half-game behind first-place Michigan State in the Big Ten standings. The Spartans would take a full game lead by winning at Purdue on Sunday -- or fall into a three-way tie for first place with a loss.

Ohio State trailed by five points at halftime and had that deficit double in the first 6:09 of the second half as Morgan twice beat Sullinger downcourt for dunks in transition and Burke scored five points as the Wolverines expanded their lead to 37-27.

Michigan’s lead was still 10 with less than 12 minutes to play when the Buckeyes finally began to target Sullinger in the post. He got a shot on five straight possessions and scored on three as Ohio State cut the Wolverines’ lead to 42-38 with 8:55 left and forced a Michigan timeout.

Michigan pushed its advantage to 47-40 with 7:25 left on a three-point play by Morgan, but Thomas matched it with a three-pointer and, after a free throw by Hardaway Jr., the Buckeyes got within 48-45 on two free throws by Sullinger with 4:51 left.

They had a chance to make it a one-point game on their next possession, but Lenzelle Smith Jr.’s runner in the lane was waved off when he was called for charging with 4:16 to play.

Michigan went up by five points on its next possession on a jumper by Stu Douglass with one second left on the shot clock, and Ohio State did not get closer than three points after that.

Ohio State had won four of its past six Big Ten road games, including a 78-68 victory at Minnesota on Tuesday night that started a run of four road games in the last six for the Buckeyes.

They will play their final two home games against Illinois on Tuesday night and Wisconsin on Sunday before finishing at Northwestern on Feb.29 and Michigan State on March 4.

bbaptist@dispatch.com