Michigan
5-1
VCU
3-3
Wolverines Outlast VCU in Final Maui Matchup
11/22/2017 8:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» Michigan trailed, 60-57, with 1:59 remaining and the Wolverines outscored VCU 11-0 down the stretch to earn the 68-60 win and take home fifth place in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational.
» Duncan Robinson led four Michigan players in double-digits with 18 points, including two key three-point plays late in the second half to help U-M regain the lead.
» There were seven lead changes in the back-and-fourth contest and Michigan led by as many as 11 points with 17:11 to go in the second half.
» Michigan will leave Maui with a 2-1 record and improves to 4-1 overall.
Score: Michigan 68, VCU 60
Records: U-M (5-1), VCU (3-3)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Nov. 26 -- vs. UC Riverside (Crisler Center), 4 p.m., FS1
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LAHAINA, Hawai'i -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team outscored VCU 11-0 in the final two minutes of play to secure a 68-60 win and earn a fifth-place finish in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational on Wednesday (Nov. 22) at the Lahaina Civic Center.
Senior Duncan Robinson led four Wolverines in double-digit scoring with a game-high 18 points. With six and five points, respectively, in the final two minutes junior Moritz Wagner (12) and senior Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (10) also posted double-figures, while junior Charles Matthews added 11 points. Wagner has scored double-digits in all six games this season, while Robinson, Matthews and Abdur-Rahkman have each done so in five of six outings. Wagner was one rebound shy of his third double-double of the season, grabbing nine rebounds.
In a game that featured seven lead changes, including four in the last 10 minutes of the contest -- and similar team stats across the board -- U-M dominated, 16-0, in fast-break points.
VCU got the first basket of the second half to cut U-M's lead to four, 36-32, but Michigan scored seven unanswered points -- including four transition points from Matthews -- and the Wolverines took their first double-digit lead, 43-32, forcing the Rams to call timeout at 17:09.
Sophomore Jon Teske helped Michigan maintain a single-digit lead, scoring three points off the bench on an offensive put-back and a free throw. VCU slowly chipped away at U-M's lead and then strung together an 11-0 run, with the last five points coming on free throws, and the Rams led, 53-49, with eight minutes to go.
On the offensive end, Michigan started attacking the rim to stop VCU's run. Matthews was fouled on the layup that halted the run, but missed the free throw, and then Robinson added back-to-back, old-fashioned three-point plays to put Michigan back in front, 57-53, at the 4:47 mark.
The game of runs continued, as VCU scored the next seven consecutive points, giving the Rams a 60-57 edge with 1:59 remaining.
Upperclassmen Abdur-Rahkman and Wagner took over down the stretch, with Abdur-Rahkman sinking a triple to ignite an 8-0 run. Wagner followed with a three-point play and a clutch three to put the game out of reach.
U-M was 2-for-7 from three-point range in the second half, but Abdur-Rahkman and Wagner hit those clutch triples in the final two minutes to secure the win.
VCU held the upper hand in the early going, scoring nine of the first 11 points of the game to take a 9-2 lead 3:37 into the game. The Wolverines regrouped and scored the next eight points, including back-to-back triples from Abdur-Rahkman and Robinson, to take their first lead of the night, 10-9, with 14:36 to play in the opening half.
U-M maintained a slight edge throughout the next four minutes until a Matthews block led to an Abdur-Rahkman bucket in transition, and then a pair of free throws from sophomore Ibi Watson gave the Maize and Blue its largest lead of the half, 24-17, with 7:21 on the clock.
The Rams responded with a 9-2 run to knot the game at 26 by the under four-minute media timeout. Michigan closed the half on a 6-0 run, which was capped by three points from freshman Eli Brooks, and the Wolverines owned a 36-30 advantage at the halftime break.
Michigan will return home to host UC Riverside on Sunday (Nov. 26) at 4 p.m. inside Crisler Center. The matchup will be broadcast live on FS1.
Tweet of the Game
Never gets old!
— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) November 23, 2017
HAIL TO THE VICTORS!#GoBlue ???? pic.twitter.com/H5ZT5oiw4M
