Michigan 99, Texas A&M 72
when the walk-on hits [photo courtesy Sam Mousigian/Michigan Daily]
We've seen this game before. A freshman Nik Stauskas shooting Florida out of the gym from the same spot; Texas becoming so overwhelmed the Longhorn Network tweeted a shruggie. Enter this into the canon:
THE MODERATOR: Coach, an opening statement?
BILLY KENNEDY: Felt like we ran into a buzz saw.
Michigan played a near-perfect first half before settling into remarkably productive cruise control in the second. They scored 99 points, the most Texas A&M has allowed this season, on an astonishing 1.38 points per possession. They shot 64% on twos, 58% on threes, and 88% from the line. Eight different players made a three-pointer. One of them was CJ Baird, who started the season as a student manager.
"It was kind of hard to see," said A&M's Admon Gilder. "Because I was just wondering when they were going to miss."
After both underperformed last weekend, Moe Wagner and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman led the way. Wagner was the star of the first half, pouring in 14 of his 21 while seemingly gaining confidence with every shot, the most spectacular a running left-handed bank after his patented behind-the-back dribble. Abdur-Rahkman scored 16 of his 24 in the second half, teaming with Charles Matthews (18 points, 13 in the second half) to drop the hammer on an A&M squad trying to cover a 20-point deficit with post-ups. Two more Wolverines, Zavier Simpson and Duncan Robinson, finished in double figures.
"We knew that we could pick and choose our spots on offense," said Abdur-Rahkman. "And we didn't shoot too well in Wichita, but we knew that we were confident coming into the game that we could hit get our shots off. We just picked and chose our shots, and we took them."
Abdur-Rahkman led the team with 24 points and 7 assists. [Mousigian]
Meanwhile, Simpson made life miserable for self-proclaimed "unstoppable" Aggies point guard TJ Starks, who made the freshman mistake of giving Michigan's best defender extra motivation. Starks, who'd averaged 19.6 points in his last three games, finished with five on 2-for-11 shooting, a lone assist, and five turnovers. Simpson equaled his mark's point total with a career-high five steals in the first half and added one more in the second for good measure. The Aggies mustered only 28 points on 32 first-half field-goal attempts; Michigan had little issue letting them work post mismatches in the second on the three-is-greater-than-two principle.
Last weekend's Wolverines were just good enough to get through last weekend. Tonight's Wolverines were great enough to beat any team on any day. It didn't take long for them to get into a groove and ooze confidence; Wagner talking trash after an in-your-eye three, Matthews flashing a rare smile after a tough bucket, Simpson eyeing his man with pure disdain after a particularly obvious flop, the whole team running back on defense as Abdur-Rahkman let loose a three-pointer. (Yes, it went in.)
It reached the absurd in the late going. Abdur-Rahkman went behind the back on a fast break pass to Wagner for an emphatic dunk. Austin Davis threw down an alley-oop. Baird sent the bench into hysterics with his three-pointer.
The swagger is carrying over.
"I think we're a very confident team, and I think that's all that matters," said Wagner. "We've been playing within ourselves all year and not looking at the opponent too much. Looking at the game plan, trying to execute that, and I think we've been believing all year we can beat anyone if we play our best basketball. So, Yep."
Michigan will face the winner of tonight's Florida State-Gonzaga matchup on Saturday. No matter which team advances, the Wolverines will enter the game knowing they can—and should—win. Given how they've played over the last month or so, they're not wrong.
[Hit THE JUMP for the box score and more photos.]
All photos courtesy of Sam Mousigian of the Michigan Daily.
To the Wolverine fans who made their way to Staples yesterday, you brought it!
It sounded like a game at Crisler last night. I don't know I've heard an indoor Michigan crowd that loud outside of Yost. Well struck folks!
Baird out scored both bates-diop and bridges last night. :-)
Not to be overlooked and SSS caveat applies, but 7/8 shooting from the charity stripe team-wide.
its going to be a dogfight and not easy like last night..A quick glance at their schedule shows they have played the elite teams very well with some big wins in there...Could be a nailbiter
March 23rd, 2018 at 10:27 AM ^
They gave up 90 points to Syracuse? Granted, it was a double overtime game, but that suggests a porous defense to me given what we just saw Syracuse look like against Sparty.
March 23rd, 2018 at 10:41 AM ^
We have a heady team that is able to get good shots. We have gotten good shots all throughout the tournament. If, in the first 2 games, we shot passably well, those games weren't close. If we shoot like last night, obviously, we won't lose.
I like our chances a lot. We are playing well.
Plus, in Beilein we trust.
March 23rd, 2018 at 11:28 AM ^
They're a nice little team ..... that has trouble winning away from home.
....Forever!!
March 23rd, 2018 at 10:30 AM ^
What an excellent game! THAT is what we can do. And for a fun read check out the Texas A&M blog
where it says things like "We were flat run off the court"
After suffering through 2 games, it's nice when all cylinders are firing again. GO BLUE
March 23rd, 2018 at 10:58 AM ^
From the comments:
"...but by that time we already had 10 turnovers and UM was on a roll offensively. They got 'heating up', surpassed 'on fire', and then somehow achieved some basketball version of super-saiyan..."
March 23rd, 2018 at 11:55 AM ^
March 23rd, 2018 at 11:33 AM ^
Keep wearing those Maize uniforms!! What a game!! Go Blue!!
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:46 PM ^
When were hitting 3s and Matthews has his drive game going, our offense is pretty unstoppable.
Great team win, really fun to watch what we can do when playing our game. Three wins down, three to go, anything is possible with this team.
That a way to go boy's. That a way to go.
Beautiful basketball.
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