Michigan
7-0
North Carolina
6-2
Cruising at Crisler: U-M Rolls Past UNC Behind Brazdeikis, Matthews & Dominant ‘D’
11/28/2018 11:32:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» With Wednesday night's win, the Wolverines improve to 7-0 for their best start since the 2012-13 season.
» Michigan shot a season-high 57.4 percent from the field and tied a season best with a 50-percent mark from beyond the arc.
» Ignas Brazdeikis scored a career-high 24 points.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: #7/5 Michigan 84, #11/13 North Carolina 67
Records: U-M (7-0), UNC (6-2)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Dec. 1 -- vs. #19/18 Purdue (Crisler Center), 3:30 p.m. (TV: ESPN)
• Watch: Highlights | Coach Beilein Postgame Press Conference
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- With an electric atmosphere from a sellout crowd that filled Crisler Center, the University of Michigan men's basketball team (No. 7 AP, No. 5 USA Today) put together a stifling defensive performance to earn an 84-67 victory over No. 11/13 North Carolina on Wednesday night (Nov. 28) in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
With the win, the Wolverines (7-0) are off to their best start since the 2012-13 campaign, when they went an impressive 16-0 to start the season. As a team, Michigan kept the Tar Heels -- who were averaging 96.6 points per game -- to a season-low point total on 39.4 percent shooting (26-of-66).
U-M forced 10 UNC turnovers which led to 18 points, and the Wolverines blocked six shots on the night.
Freshman Ignas Brazdeikis scored a career-high 24 points for his third straight 20-point performance, while senior Charles Matthews added 21 points. Sophomore Jordan Poole poured in 18 points, 15 of which came courtesy of 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc.
Junior Zavier Simpson controlled the pace of the game at the point with six assists and collected five points and four rebounds. Junior Jon Teske led the Wolverines defensively with a career-high five blocks and added one steal. Matthews led U-M on the boards with seven rebounds.
The Tar Heels got off to a fast start, scoring on four of their first five possessions to jump out to an 8-4 lead over the Wolverines to open the contest. With 11:15 left in the first half, Simpson came up with a steal and layup that snapped an 8-0 North Carolina run, but the Wolverines still trailed, 21-13.
Coming out of the second media timeout of the half, Brazdeikis sparked the Wolverine offense. He converted an and-one opportunity that was followed by six straight Michigan baskets as U-M went on a 17-2 run to go up 28-25 with just over eight minutes to play.
The Tar Heels took back the lead in the closing minutes of the opening half when Coby White was able to connect on three straight field goals, which helped North Carolina to a 33-31 edge. Michigan suffered a field-goal drought late in the half, but its defense down the stretch kept the game close before threes from Matthews and Poole sent the Wolverines into the locker room with momentum and a 39-35 advantage.
Michigan's offensive onslaught continued in the second half. Simpson connected with Teske on an alley-oop to cap off a 10-2 Wolverine scoring run that put them ahead by 10 points, 49-39. The U-M defense stood firm in the opening five minutes of the second half, holding North Carolina to 1-of-7 shooting and forcing two turnovers.
A putback, an and-one dunk by Matthews, and blocks from Teske and Matthews riled the Crisler crowd and sparked a 7-0 scoring run that expanded Michigan's lead to 58-42 with 13 minutes to play.
UNC closed the gap on the Wolverines with a 10-0 run, but Michigan continued to maintain a double-digit lead, 73-62, with just under five minutes left in the contest.
The Wolverines will open the Big Ten Conference portion of their schedule on Saturday (Dec. 1) when they welcome No. 18/19 Purdue to Crisler Center for a 3:30 p.m. matchup on ESPN.
