Michigan
8-18, 4-10
Minnesota
16-9, 6-7
Wolverines Fall Short Late at Minnesota
2/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Site: Minneapolis, Minn. (Williams Arena)
Score: Minnesota 69, Michigan 60
Records: U-M (8-18, 4-10 Big Ten), Minnesota (16-9; 6-7 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 23 -- vs. Illinois (Crisler Arena), 4 p.m.
Boxscore | Postgame Notes | Video Report
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball program had its three-game conference winning streak snapped by Minnesota, 69-60, Thursday night (Feb. 21) at Williams Arena. Michigan held the advantage at the intermission after a highly-contested first half, but a five-minute dry spell plagued the Wolverines in the final minutes and pushed the game out of reach.
Freshman Manny Harris(Detroit, Mich./Redford HS) led the Wolverines in scoring and assists in the contest, netting 16 points and tallying four assists on the day. Sophomore DeShawn Sims(Detroit, Mich./Pershing HS) also contributed 16 points in the Michigan effort. Sophomore Ekpe Udoh(Edmond, Okla./Santa Fe HS) made his presence known on the inside. Udoh posted game highs with three steals and eight boards, including seven offensive rebounds.
Michigan sputtered at the start of the game, allowing the Gophers to record nine unanswered points and a 15-5 advantage. The Wolverines responded with a streak of their own as Sims converted a put-back and three-point shot to spark a 7-0 stretch, cutting the Minnesota lead to one possession, 15-12. Sims closed the half with 11 points. With 8:32 left to play in the first stanza, Harris nailed an inside jumper to shift the scoreboard to Michigan's favor, 21-20, grasping its first lead since the opening basket.
The teams struggled to hold a lead down the stretch in a period that featured four ties and eleven lead changes. Minnesota briefly clutched the advantage after sinking a deep three-point shot in the final minute, but Harris drove the lane and rolled the rock off his fingertips, collecting two points and a 35-34 halftime edge. Harris closed the period with a team-high 12 points.
The Michigan defense was essential in providing the team the advantage heading into the locker room. The front stilled Minnesota's conference-leading perimeter attack after the Gopher's converted their first four attempts from beyond the arc. The Wolverines forced Minnesota to shoot only 1-of-9 from distance for the remainder of the period, blanking the Gopher's from long range for more than 17 minutes.
Minnesota's outside shooting proved to be the difference in the second half, as the Gophers sank 4-of-10 three-point attempts in comparison to Michigan's 1-of-10 from long distance. The Wolverines captured a lead as large as five points in the second half, but poor shooting and timely turnovers kept U-M from sustaining the advantage. The lead wavered between the teams until Minnesota captured a one-point advantage, 53-52, with just more than nine minutes left in regulation.
The Wolverines were within four points, 58-54, before they experienced a drought late in the second half, suffering more than five minutes without a field goal near the game's end. The struggles opened the door for an 8-1 Minnesota stretch which extended the home team's advantage to 66-55. Junior/sophomore Zack Gibson(Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS) drained an attempt from behind the line to bring the Wolverines within eight, 68-60, but Minnesota closed the game to claim the victory.
With just one day of preparation, the Wolverines will host Illinois Saturday (Feb. 23) in Crisler Arena. This will be the second meeting this season between the Wolverines and Fighting Illini. Illinois took the first match-up with a 75-57 decision at Assembly Hall (Jan. 16). The second meeting is scheduled for a 4 p.m. tipoff with the game televised on Big Ten Network.
In conjunction with the game, U-M Athletics and the Wolverine basketball program will honor the contributions of former U-M All-American Jalen Rose and his Jalen Rose Foundation during private pregame and halftime ceremonies. Following the game, Rose and select U-M players will be available for autographs.
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
