Nearly two months ago, the Michigan men’s basketball team ran Nebraska out of its own gym, dominating the Cornhuskers, 102-67.

But when Nebraska traveled to Ann Arbor on Tuesday night sporting an 0-10 Big Ten record, the Huskers flipped the script. They raced out to a double-digit lead over the game’s first 15 minutes and took a seven-point lead into the break. Ultimately, the Wolverines rallied down the stretch to pull out an 85-79 win.

The Maize and Blue Review breaks down three takeaways from Michigan’s comeback victory:

Even after identification, defensive effort remained at a season-low in the first half

Standing over the podium in the Breslin Center media room following Michigan’s loss to Michigan State on Saturday, Hunter Dickinson looked distraught. He offered a telling reflection of the Wolverines’ second-half defensive shortcomings.

“Defensively, we weren’t locked in all the way,” Dickinson said. “That was a theme for us. In the second half, we don’t usually play a full 20 minutes. Sometimes, we have some mental lapses that open the game up for the other team, and I think today was another example of that. (It’s) something we need to fix before we want to make any run at anything.”

Michigan’s defensive struggles in the final 20 minutes of Saturday spilled over into the first 20 minutes of Tuesday’s game. The Wolverines allowed a gaudy 44 first-half points against Nebraska as the Cornhuskers shot 55% from the field and 57% from beyond the arc. Nebraska got clean looks from the floor time and time again, taking advantage of Michigan’s slow rotations and inability to guard one-on-one.

Cornhuskers guard Bryce McGowens — a 6-foot-7 reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Week and former five-star prospect — was near the top of the Wolverines’ scouting report, yet they still allowed him to post 14 first-half points on 6-of-10 shooting. His contributions put Nebraska in the driver’s seat before the Cornhuskers’ second-half implosion.

No offensive identity without Hunter Dickinson on the floor

With Dickinson in the game, Michigan’s offensive strategy is clear: Play through the post. Dickinson’s passing and moves on the low block have made him one of the most effective big men in the nation this season, and the Wolverines have relied on him to do a little bit of everything at the offensive end lately.

But when the All-American center finds himself on the bench due to foul trouble, Michigan often self-destructs. It happened in Chapel Hill, where Dickinson played just 18 minutes in a 21-point blowout loss. It happened again on Tuesday, when the Wolverines were down double digits at two different points in the first half after Dickinson picked up a pair of fouls in the first five minutes, forcing him to the bench for the rest of the half.

Michigan was outscored by six without Dickinson on the floor in the first half. After the break, however, he was a +19 in 18 minutes of action. He scored 20 second-half points, leading the Wolverines to a comeback in order to avoid an embarrassing loss on their home floor.

Wolverines lacked first-half energy from the opening tip

Two weeks ago, the Wolverines took the floor at Illinois without Dickinson and Brandon Johns Jr. — two critical pieces of their frontcourt. But in their place, a struggling Michigan team coming off a COVID-19 pause brought a brand of energy that screamed “save the season.”

The Wolverines were playing with maximum intensity, diving after loose balls and hustling for rebounds. Though they fell short in Champaign, that game marked a turning point that saw Michigan rattle off three straight wins for the first time all season.

Then the Wolverines cratered back to Earth against the Spartans on Saturday, but Tuesday provided an opportunity to reignite the energy against the Big Ten’s doormat.

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