Michigan
4-0
Oregon
3-1
Wolverines Slip Past Ducks into Legends Classic Final
11/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 25, 2014
• Box Score | Quotes | Notes | MGoBlue.com 
| USA Today
Site: Brooklyn, N.Y. (Barclays Center)
Event: Legends Classic
Score: #19 Michigan 70, Oregon 63
Records: U-M (4-0), UO (3-1)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, Nov. 25 -- vs. Villanova (Brooklyn, N.Y.), 10 p.m. [ TV: ESPN2 ]
BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team (No. 19 AP, No. 18 ESPN/USA Today) defeated Oregon, 70-63, on Monday night (Nov. 24) in the semifinal round of the Progressive Legends Classic at Barclays Center. The Wolverines never trailed in the entire game, but the Ducks kept it close for the entire 40 minutes, never falling behind by more than eight points.
Sophomore guard/forward Zak Irvin led U-M with 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting, and he knocked down a trio of three-pointers. Junior guard Caris LeVert finished the night with 18 points after going 11-of-13 from the free throw line, and he added five rebounds and three assists. Freshman forward Ricky Doyle had his best performance of the season, posting a career-high 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting.
LeVert nailed a three for the first basket of the game, and the Wolverines quickly took a 7-2 lead just two minutes in. Irvin drove baseline and threw down a dunk to increase U-M's lead to 17-14 at the 12:41 mark of the first half, and he made a layup five minutes later to bring the score to 25-18.
Oregon went on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 25 with 4:50 left before the half, but Michigan responded four unanswered points. Freshman forward Kameron Chatman split a pair of free throws to break the tie, and Doyle converted on an old-fashioned three-point play to give U-M the 29-24 lead. Doyle tipped in a missed shot with less thana minute left, and LeVert hit two free throws with four seconds remaining to put the Wolverines up 33-27 heading into the intermission.
Michigan shot 13-of-26 (50 percent) in the first half and went 3-of-10 (30 percent) from three. Oregon went 12-of-33 (36.4 percent) from the floor before halftime and shot 3-of-11 (27.3 percent) from long distance. Seven different Wolverines scored in the first frame.
Both teams traded baskets to open the second half, and a three-point play by Dillon Brooks brought the Ducks within one point of Michigan at 36-35. Elgin Cook made another three-point play for Oregon to tie the game at 40, but the Wolverines scored eight unanswered points to take a 48-40 lead with less than 11 minutes to play.
The Ducks kept the game competitive, and a basket by Cook made the score 50-48 with less than nine minutes left. With four minutes remaining, Brooks dunked after grabbing an offensive to cut the Oregon deficit to 56-55, forcing a Michigan timeout.
LeVert drew a foul and hit both free throws following the break, and on the next possession he converted on a three-point play to give Michigan the 61-57 lead with three minutes to go. Joseph Young made two free throws for Oregon, but Irvin knocked down a triple on the other end to make the score 64-59 with 1:25 left. Doyle snatched an offensive rebound and put it in with 37 seconds remaining to put the Wolverines up 68-63, and they held on for the 70-63 win.
U-M ended the night shooting 21-of-46 (45.7 percent), including 5-of-13 (38.5 percent) from three. Oregon shot 23-of-59 (39 percent) and connected on only five of its 19 attempts (26.3 percent) from beyond the arc.
The Wolverines were outrebounded by a margin of 41-29 and finished the night shooting 23-of-29 (79.3 percent) from the charity stripe. Young led all scorers with 20 points.
The Maize and Blue will take on No. 12-ranked Villanova the final round of the Progressive Legends Classic on Tuesday night (Nov. 25) inside Barclays Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 10 p.m., and the game will be available on ESPN2.
Communications Contact: Tom Wywrot, Chad Shepard (734) 763-4423
