Michigan
Northwood (ex)
Wolverines Cruise to Exhibition Victory over Northwood
11/2/2018 10:55:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» All five Wolverine starters scored in double figures in their 90-58 exhibition victory over Northwood.
» The Maize and Blue forced a total of 16 turnovers, which were converted into 25 Wolverine points.
» Michigan will open the regular season when it hosts Norfolk State on Tuesday (Nov. 6) at 8:30 p.m. at Crisler Center.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: Michigan 90, Northwood 58 (exhibition)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, Nov. 6 -- vs. Norfolk State (Crisler Center), 8:30 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team rolled to a 90-58 victory over Northwood University on Friday (Nov. 2) at Crisler Center in the Wolverines' lone exhibition game this season.
Michigan was led by a game-high 13 points from senior Charles Matthews and freshman Ignas Brazdeikis. All five starters scored in double figures, with junior Zavier Simpson and sophomore Jordan Poole adding 12 points each, and junior Jon Teske contributing 11 for the Wolverines. In total, Michigan's starters combined for 60 of the Wolverines' 90 points.
Overall, 14 players saw game action in the win, including game starts for Simpson, Poole, Matthews, Brazdeikis and Teske. Of the 14 players that played, 12 scored. Simpson also recorded four rebounds, seven assists and six steals.
The Maize and Blue forced a total of 16 turnovers, which were converted into 25 Michigan points. U-M held the Timberwolves to 40 percent shooting (25-for-62) from the field, while the Wolverines shot 61 percent (37-for-60) as a team. Michigan pulled down 42 rebounds compared to Northwood's 23, with Isaiah Livers grabbing a team-best eight boards and Matthews adding six.
After a slow start, the Wolverines found their groove and took a 19-10 a lead over the Timberwolves in the first eight minutes of the game. Brazdeikis led the early scoring with seven points on 3-for-4 shooting, including an emphatic dunk off of a Simpson steal.
With Michigan leading, 28-14, with 5:19 remaining in the first half, Matthews hit a running layup off the glass, plus a foul to give Michigan its largest lead of the first half (17 points). U-M headed into halftime with a 41-26 lead, with eight players posting points, including a team-high 11 from Brazdeikis.
The Wolverines held the Timberwolves without a 3-point field goal, and to 40 percent shooting overall, in the first half. Michigan shot 68 percent (17-for-25), while it made one 3-pointer on six attempts.
In the second half, the Wolverines scored their first bucket off an alley-oop slam from Matthews to Livers. The Wolverines showed their athleticism with dunks from Matthews and again from Livers, which ignited U-M to a 55-33 lead with 14:21 remaining.
A flurry of treys, including one from Teske with 10:02 remaining, made it a 69-39 game. The Timberwolves would keep pace with the Michigan scoring in the closing minutes of play, but the gap was too large for the visitors to overcome. The Wolverines outscored Northwood, 49-32, in the second half.
Michigan will open its regular season on Tuesday (Nov. 6) at 8:30 p.m. when it hosts Norfolk State at Crisler Center. The game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
