In one of the more exciting Michigan basketball games in recent memory, Michigan came up just two points short against Arkansas in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.
Vlad Goldin tallied 17 points and nine rebounds, and Danny Wolf came up an assist and a rebound shy of registering a triple-double.
Michigan falls to 8-2 on the season. Here are three takeaways from the thrilling game.
Boogie Fland and D.J. Wagner prove to be too much
There wasn't much Michigan could do in the second half. You'd be hard pressed to find any team in college basketball that could have successfully defended what Arkansas did offensively in the second half.
Boogie Fland and D.J. Wagner were unstoppable on Tuesday night in New York City. The duo combined for 36 points in the thrilling two-point victory.
Fland and Wagner combined for 13-of-30 shooting, and they lifted the Razorbacks to an 18-point lead about mid way through the second half.
Michigan stormed back and made an impressive comeback, but the efforts of Fland and Wagner proved to be too much for the Wolverines to overcome.
Michigan must do a better job of playing with a lead
Two games in a row, Michigan has built up a sizable lead only to see it slip away completely late in the first half or early in the second half. Against Iowa, the Wolverines jumped out to a 20-6 lead, but the Hawkeyes came from behind to take a 51-50 lead in the second half.
A similar story played out on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. Michigan led Arkansas by 15 points (36-21) with 6:27 to go in the first half, but the lead was entirely gone two minutes into the second half.
Michigan has had no issues getting out to early leads in many of its recent games, but the Wolverines must do a better job of maintaining the leads that they build.
Of course, Arkansas couldn't miss for a long stretch in the second half, but Michigan's offense went cold in the opening minutes of the second frame, which ultimately cost Dusty May's team on Tuesday night.
Offensive inconsistencies doom Michigan
Tuesday night's game was a perfect example of why fans love college basketball. Michigan jumped out to a 15-point lead, then fell behind by 18 and cut the lead back to one before ultimately losing by two.
The teams combined to make 17 3-pointers and there was plenty of star power on both sides.
However, Michigan must be more consistent on the offensive end of the floor. It's what cost them Tuesday's game, and had they been a bit more consistently efficient, they could have escaped with a win.
Will Tschetter lit up the arena late in the first half, and Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin teamed up to dominate in the second half, but what happened in between was ugly, to say the least.
It took Michigan nearly five minutes to score its first points of the second half, and the Wolverines allowed the Razorbacks to build confidence and a strong lead.
If Michigan can become more consistent on offense, it will be a team to fear. But too many times this season the Wolverines have gone cold.
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