Michigan
7-2 (1-0)
Indiana
4-4 (0-1)
Wolverines Roll Past Indiana in Big Ten Home Opener
12/2/2017 4:04:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» The Wolverines led wire to wire and by as many as 16 points in the first Big Ten matchup of the season.
» Going into Saturday's game, Indiana averaged 78.3 points per game -- the Wolverines held them to 55.
» Freshman Jordan Poole recorded a career-high 19 points, highlighted by five of Michigan's 11 three-pointers.
» Senior Muhammad-Ali Abdur Rahkman grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds in the win, in addition to adding eight points and dishing out three assists.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: Michigan 69, Indiana 55
Records: U-M (7-2, 1-0 Big Ten) IU (4-4, 0-1 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Monday, Dec. 4 -- at Ohio State, 6:30 p.m., FS1
Watch: Beilein Postgame Press Conference | Postgame Report
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- In its Big Ten Conference opener, the University of Michigan men's basketball team led wire to wire and by as many as 16 points in a 69-55 win over Indiana on Saturday (Dec. 2) inside Crisler Center. The Wolverines remain a perfect 5-0 at home.
http://mgoblue.com/watch/?Archive=11671 >Postgame ReportOverall, eight Wolverines scored in the win, led by a career-high 19 points from freshman Jordan Poole and 13 from junior Moritz Wagner. Poole got an early opportunity off the bench, as junior Charles Matthews picked up a foul just 14 seconds into the game and was replaced by the freshman guard. Senior Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman added a career high 11 rebounds in addition to eight points and three assists. The Maize and Blue had 29 bench points in the win, compared to the Hoosiers' nine, and assisted on 62 percent of its field goals (16-of-26).
Michigan's defense held Indiana to 55 points -- well below its 78.3 points-per-game average -- with 21 of those coming in the first half. Of the Hoosiers' 55 total points, 36 came from in the paint. The Hoosiers hit two three-point field goals the entire game, while the Wolverines connecting on 11 of their own.
In his fifth game as the starting point guard, freshman Eli Brooks added five points and a career-high six assists, while committing zero turnovers in his 22 minutes of play.
The Wolverines began the first half with an offensive onslaught, shooting 57 percent from deep in the first four minutes, hitting four threes, to grab a quick 12-2 lead at 16:05, forcing an Indiana timeout. Poole had two threes in the run, in addition to one each from senior Duncan Robinson and Abdur-Rahkman.
Michigan held the Hoosiers without a field goal for 7:30 to begin the half. In that time, the Wolverines forced five turnovers and stole the ball three times.
At the 7:47 mark, a jumper from Brooks gave U-M its largest lead of the half, 26-10. Indiana responded with four straight points before Poole sank his third three of the afternoon, tying his career high to put Michigan up, 29-14, at 6:34.
In the first half, Michigan assisted on 64 percent of its made field goals (9-of-14). U-M forced nine turnovers in the first 20 minutes, while only committing three.
To start the second half, the Hoosiers used a 13-5 run to come within five of the Wolverines, 39-34, at the 14:51 mark. Michigan then constructed an 8-0 run over a mere 1:05 to shift the momentum of the half and gain a 47-34 lead. The run consisted of a freshman Jon Teske jumper sandwiched between triples from Robinson and Brooks to put the Wolverines up by 13 with 13:35 remaining in the game.
Poole then added a layup at 11:23 before dropping his fourth triple of the day less than a minute later to give Michigan a 52-38 advantage. Poole added another triple four minutes later, giving him a career-high five threes, to put U-M up, 59-45.
Wagner helped the Wolverines finish out the half strong by scoring seven of Michigan's final 17 points. His offensive showing was capped by a signature one-handed dunk at the 2:04 mark to make the score 66-51.
Tweet of the Game
Nice ball movement, @umichbball.
— Michigan On BTN (@MichiganOnBTN) December 2, 2017
Nice finish, too, @moritz_weasley. pic.twitter.com/wErZTN0rJq
Next up, Michigan will play its second of two Big Ten games before the end of 2017, traveling to Columbus, Ohio, to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes on Monday (Dec. 4). The game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff and will be broadcast live on FS1.
