Michigan Improves To 8-0 With Impressive 84-73 Win At Maryland
The Michigan Wolverines' basketball team picked up a very impressive 84-73 win at Maryland tonight, improving their record to 8-0 in the process.
Miss any of the action? Here's how the whole thing unfolded:
First Half
Michigan's offense got off to a hot start tonight, with senior forward Isaiah Livers and senior guard Eli Brooks each nailing two free throws in the game's first minute and a half to give the Wolverines a quick 4-0 lead.
Sophomore guard Franz Wagner got off to a hot start as well, draining a three-pointer at the 14:00 mark to put the Maize and Blue up 14-7. He had eight quick points at that juncture and was the game's leading scorer.
Fifth-year senior point guard Mike Smith splashed home a three of his own at 12:24 to put U-M up 19-10. The Wolverines held a 19-13 lead at the under-12 media timeout. Michigan's offense was on fire at that point, shooting 55 percent from the field as a team and three-of-seven from behind the arc.
Smith gave the Maize and Blue their biggest lead when he drained two free throws at the 10:24 mark, putting his club on top 23-13. Maryland quickly closed the gap, however, converting three-pointers on consecutive possessions to trim Michigan's edge to 26-22 at the 8:36 mark.
The two shots from deep were an early sign of the Terrapins' first half three-point barrage. U-M's lead sat at 30-27 at the under-eight timeout, despite Maryland being seven-of-nine from three-point land.
The referees then decided to take over and make their presence known with 5:44 left in the half. Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon was issued his second technical foul, allowing Livers and Smith to cash in two free throws each to extend Michigan's lead back up to 38-31.
The Wolverines led 42-35 at the under-four media timeout. The Terrapins continued to hang around, however, thanks to their hot three-point shooting. Wagner found junior forward Brandon Johns underneath the hoop on a beautiful pass that resulted in a layup to put U-M up 46-41 with 1:12 left.
Maryland ended the half with a bang, however, draining a three-pointer with only four seconds left to cut Michigan's lead to 46-44 at the break. The Terrapins ended the first 20 minutes nine-for-11 from three-point land.
Second Half
A triple from Maryland junior guard Aaron Wiggins gave the Terps their first lead of the game at 18:30, going up 47-46. The Terrapins maintained their lead until the under-16 timeout, taking a 52-50 edge into the media break.
A triple from Wagner put the Wolverines back on top 54-53 with 14:35 to go. The sophomore had 13 points at that juncture. The margin was increased to 58-54 when freshman center Hunter Dickinson converted an and-one at the 12:59 mark, finishing off a nifty pass from Wagner.
U-M was on an 8-0 run at that point. Michigan then went up six (58-54) on a massive dunk from senior guard Eli Brooks, before the Wolverines' advantage sat at 60-56 at the under-12 timeout.
The Maize and Blue enjoyed a 13-0 run that culminated with a Dickinson bucket that made it 71-59, and then a dunk from the big man that made it 73-59. U-M continued its domination with a breakaway dunk from Wagner at 5:50, increasing the lead to 75-61 and all but sealing the deal.
Michigan was on a 17-2 run at that point. A triple from Smith in the right corner capped off a 22-4 run from the Wolverines, putting the Maize and Blue up 82-63 with just 3:45 remaining.
U-M didn't score over the final 2:52 and let Maryland conclude on an 8-0 edge of their own, but still held on for the 84-73 triumph.
The Wolverines shot 59 percent for the game, highlighted by a 10-for-11 performance from Dickinson. The freshman big man finished with a career-high 26 points and 11 rebounds.
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