Michigan
3-2
Eastern Michigan
1-5
Michigan Holds Off Late Charge From Eastern Washington
11/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Boxscore | Notes & Quotes
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- With a 19-point effort from freshman Manny Harris(Detroit, Mich./Redford HS), the University of Michigan snapped a two-game losing streak as the Wolverines held off a late run by Eastern Washington to win 61-53 today (Friday, Nov. 23) in its Great Alaska Shootout consolation semifinal at Sullivan Arena.
Harris was red hot from long range, closing the game with a career-best four triples. He added a career-best five assists for the second straight game to go along with a career-best five rebounds in 33 minutes of action. For his efforts, Harris was named Player of the Game.
Senior Ron Coleman(Romulus, Mich./Romulus HS) posted his second straight double-figure scoring night as he had 14 points and a team-best seven rebounds in 35 minutes of action. Sophomore Ekpe Udoh(Edmond, Okla./Santa Fe HS) had nine points, including his first career three-point field goal, and recorded his second straight game with five blocks.
After Eastern Washington took an early 5-0 lead, the Wolverines hunkered down defensively and, after a pair of three-pointers from Harris, eventually led 12-7 with 13 minutes remaining. After the Eagles tied the game at 12-12, the Wolverines heated up from the outside as they made their next four long-range shots. Harris, freshman Kelvin Grady(Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids HS), Coleman and junior Jerret Smith(Romulus, Mich./Romulus HS) pushed the U-M lead to 13 with five minutes remaining in the half. The lead reached as much as 16 in the first half, but the Eagles held strong over the remaining five minutes in the half as U-M closed the first half with a 13-point lead, 34-21. Eight of Michigan's 12 buckets in the half were from beyond the arc.
It was a reversal in the second half as Eastern Washington came out of the locker room hitting five three-pointers of its own to cut the Wolverines' lead in half, 46-40, with less than 14 minutes to go. As the game intensified over the final 14 minutes, the Maize and Blue struggled from the outside but continued to respond defensively. U-M used key buckets down low as it held the lead throughout the second half. The Eagles continued to execute in the second half and, using the long-range shot, closed the deficit to just one point with 1:27 remaining, but the Wolverines' strong rebounding and free throws down the stretch helped them win the game.
A pair of Smith free throws with 38 seconds remaining gave U-M a three-point cushion, 56-53. A huge block from Udoh on the other end helped the Maize and Blue take control of the game as Harris grabbed the ball and was fouled. He knocked down the pair of freebies to push the lead to five with 28 seconds remaining. After two more errant shots from EWU, the Wolverines secured the rebound and forced the Eagles to foul. Coleman and Harris put the game away for good with free throws.
The Wolverines will play Western Kentucky, a 71-67 consolation semifinal winner over host Alaska-Anchorage, Saturday (Nov. 24) at 2 p.m. AKST (6 p.m. EST) in the fifth-place game of the Great Alaska Shootout. There will be no television broadcast of the game.
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
