Michigan
10-2
Bryant
1-10
Wolverines Hit 16 Triples in Rout of Bryant
12/23/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 23, 2010
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| Highlights 
• Postgame Audio: John Beilein Press Conference 
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• Postgame Video: Guard Darius Morris | Guard Matt Vogrich
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Arena)
Score: Michigan 87, Bryant 71
Records: U-M (10-2), Bryant (1-10)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, Dec. 28 -- vs. Purdue (Crisler Arena), 2 p.m. (TV: Big Ten Network)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team tied a school record with 16 three-pointers and sophomore Darius Morris (Los Angeles, Calif./Windward) had his fourth double-double of the season with 26 points and 12 assists as the Wolverines won their seventh game in a row with an 87-71 victory over Bryant Thursday night (Dec. 23) at Crisler Arena.
Morris set a career high in points and matched his career high in assists, going 7-of-16 from the field, 4-of-6 from three-point range and 8-of-10 from the free throw line. Freshman Tim Hardaway Jr. (Miami, Fla./Palmetto Senior) also had a career high with 20 points, including four three-pointers. Classmate Evan Smotrycz (Reading, Mass./New Hampton Prep [N.H.]) was U-M's third player in double figures in scoring with 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc.
Michigan shot an even 50 percent (16-of-32) from three-point range and tied the school record for makes set Dec. 13, 2008, against Eastern Michigan. Bryant kept up with the Wolverines in outside marksmanship, shooting 52 percent (13-of-25) from three-point range.
U-M used that hot shooting from behind the arc to take a 45-35 lead into halftime. The Wolverines shot 9-of-17 (52.9 percent) from three-point range in the first stanza. Smotrycz scored Michigan's first six points on a pair of three-pointers in the first 1:17. The game was a back-and-forth affair in the first half of the opening period as there were 10 lead changes in 10:17. Bryant's Alex Francis gave the Bulldogs a 17-16 lead at 10:47, but the Wolverines responded with a 13-2 run over the next 3:33. Junior Zack Novak (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) gave U-M a lead it never relinquished with a three-pointer at 9:43. Layups from sophomore Matt Vogrich (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) and freshman Jon Horford (Grand Ledge, Mich./Grand Ledge) made it 23-17 at 8:36, while Vogrich joined Smotrycz and junior Stu Douglass (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) with three-pointers to cap the Wolverine run. Bryant cut the lead to seven (40-33) at 1:44 on a three from Vlad Kondratyev, but Hardaway hit Michigan's ninth and final three of the half with 40 seconds left to give the Maize and Blue a 45-33 lead.
Hardaway opened the second half with a three, but Bryant cut the Wolverine lead to single digits (48-40) on a three from Matthew Lee at 18:45. That was the closest the Bulldogs got in the second stanza. Morris' three at 15:13 made it 60-46 and Vogrich's triple at 12:06 gave U-M a 66-52 lead. The largest lead of the game (17) came after a layup from Douglass off a Hardaway assist at 5:35. Bryant got within 10 at 3:56 on a Frankie Dobbs layup, but Morris hit seven free throws in the final 1:35 to ice the Wolverine win.
Morris also was one rebound away from tying a career high as he had six boards. The Michigan offense also committed a season-low three turnovers and had 21 assists on 28 made field goals.
Bryant was led by Kondratyev's 20 points. He was joined by Lee with five three-pointers apiece. Dobbs added nine assists.
The Maize and Blue will take time off for the holidays before returning to the hardwood to open the Big Ten schedule. Michigan hosts Purdue Tuesday, Dec. 28, at 2 p.m. EST. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
