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Ann Arbor, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Spike Albrecht totaled 11 points and a career-high nine assists with no turnovers off the bench as No. 17 Michigan held off Syracuse, 68-65, in this installment of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Albrecht, who became a household name when he scored 17 first-half points against Louisville in the National Championship game two years ago, broke a 63-63 deadlock when he stepped into an NBA range 3-pointer with 31 seconds to play. Michael Gbinije got a quick two at the other end, and Syracuse (5-2) had two chances to take a lead after Michigan missed two free throws but squandered both. Chris McCullough, who secured Derrick Waltons miss from the line, overthrew Kaleb Joseph on his outlet pass. LeVert then missed the front end of a 1-and-1, but Joseph lost the ball on a drive to the basket. LeVert sank two with 4.5 to play, and Josephs final look from 3 hit nothing but air as the clock expired. Zak Irvin led Michigan (6-1) with 18 points while LeVert and Ricky Doyle scored 12 apiece. The Wolverines improved to 5-0 at home this season. Trevor Cooney and Rakeem Christmas had 16 and 15 points, respectively, in the setback. McCullough finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Michigan started 0-for-7 from the floor before Kameron Chatman finally hit a jumper from the free throw line. That bucket sparked a 9-0 Wolverines run, with Irvin canning a 3 and throwing down a dunk in transition during the spurt. Gbinije then capped an 8-0 Orange run with a three-point play. It was 12-9 at that point, and neither team led by more than three during the rest of a back- and-forth first half. Christmas followed another Irvin dunk with a three-point play at the other end, and Syracuse led 31-29 at halftime. It was a tale of two halves for Michigans outside shooting. The Maize and Blue struggled to find the range in the opening 20 minutes, shooting just 3- for-17 from the arc before erupting for 8-of-16 in the second half. Albrecht came alive early in the second half. He had a hand in 12 straight points for the Wolverines. The junior hit a 3, assisted on triples by Walton and Irvin, and went behind the back to set up Doyles three-point play. Cooney hit a pair of treys during that run to keep Syracuse close. Albrecht then potted another long 3-pointer and assisted on two more baskets, including Irvins fourth 3 of the game, and the Wolverines went up 58-48 with seven minutes to play. Syracuse used an 11-3 run from there to close the gap to two. Cooney hit twice from behind the arc and McCullough scored four points during the spurt that forced Michigan to use a timeout. With 56 seconds remaining, Christmas tied the game with an uncontested layup. Game Notes Walton returned after missing one game with a toe injury ... 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Listen to the Rangers vs. Kings live on TSN Radio starting at 7pm et/4pm pt. You can also stream the post-game press conferences live on TSN.ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - John Elway and Gary Kubiak are back together drawing up blueprints for the Denver Broncos to get back to the Super Bowl.Elway hired Kubiak on Monday, inking his former backup QB and offensive co-ordinator to a four-year contract. Kubiak replaces John Fox, who was ousted last week following Denvers stunning loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC divisional playoffs.Having coached on three Super Bowl teams and 11 playoff teams, Gary knows what it will take to deliver another world championship to Denver, Elway said in a statement.Fox went 49-22, counting playoffs, in four seasons in Denver, where he won four AFC West titles. But Elway didnt like the lack of fire the team displayed in its biggest games, including a 35-point loss in last years Super Bowl and a 24-13 loss at home as a heavy favourite two weeks ago.Fox was hired as the Chicago Bears new coach on Friday.Kubiak and his staff are expected to bring a discipline and toughness that Elway deemed was lacking in Denver, where a talent-laden roster that featured an NFL-high 10 Pro Bowlers lost at home in the playoffs after a bye for the second time in three years.In each of the past two seasons, Elway, the teams general manager and executive vice-president, found it necessary to address the players himself following particularly bad performances, something the head coach usually handles.In Kubiak, Elway brings back a man who went down the championship trails with him in the 1990s.Kubiaks relationship with Elway includes nine seasons as his backup QB, from 1983-91, and four seasons as his offensive co-ordinator.After winning his first Super Bowl ring as the San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks coach in 1994, he returned to Denver on Mike Shanahans staff and helped draw up the blueprint for the Broncos two Super Bowl championships following the 1997 and 98 seasons.Altogether, Kubiak spent 11 seasons as Shanahans top offensive assistant before leaving in 2006 to coach the Houston Texans. He went 63-66, counting 2-2 in the playoffs, in eight seasons in Houston.Gary Kubiak has established a track record of leadership, success and high character during his 30 seasons in the NFL, Elway said in a statement. While there is no question he is a Bronco, what Gary has learned from his other opportunities around the league, especially in his eight seasons as a head coach, will tremendously benefit oour organization.dddddddddddds Denvers offensive co-ordinator from 1995-2005, Kubiak helped the Broncos lead the league in scoring (25.2 points per game), total yards (365 yards per game) and rushing (142.2-yard average) over that span. He also coached the teams quarterbacks for eight of those seasons (1995-02), including a four-year period from 1995-98 in which Elway ranked second in the NFL in touchdown passes (101) and fourth in yards passing (13,739).Gary has been part of the Broncos family for two decades and has proven himself as a highly successful head coach and assistant coach around the NFL, Broncos president and CEO Joe Ellis said.From his time in Denver, he completely understands — and has contributed to — the culture of winning that has been established throughout Pat Bowlens ownership. Gary also respects what the Broncos mean to this community and the special connection this team has with its fans.Although Kubiak, 53, gets a second chance as a head coach in Denver, his comeback actually began in Baltimore last season.Under Kubiak, the Ravens improved from 30th in the league in rushing to eighth and Joe Flaccos sacks dropped from 48 to 19. Flacco also set career highs in yards passing (3,986) and TD passes (27) and running back Justin Forsetts breakout season earned him his first Pro Bowl berth.Earlier this month, Kubiak bypassed chances to interview for the head coaching vacancies with the Bears and the Jets, saying he was happy in Baltimore.That was before his dream job opened up.Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith tweeted his congratulations and asked, How can you be mad at a guy who did his job and was rewarded with dream opportunity that WASNT available when he said he was staying?From all Im hearing, hell be a great hire, Broncos star cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said.Kubiak takes over a team that may or may not have Peyton Manning under centre in 2015. The five-time MVP is mulling his future after a promising season turned sour down the stretch and ended unexpectedly.Elway asked Manning not to make a rash decision and said he wont need an answer for a few weeks. Manning, who turns 39 in March, is due $19 million each of the next two seasons.Manning pulled out of next weeks Pro Bowl because a strained right thigh hasnt gotten much better since his season ended.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '