Michigan
8-0
Purdue
5-3
Poole, Defense Lead U-M Past No. 19 Purdue for Eighth Consecutive Win
12/1/2018 7:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» The Wolverines held Purdue to its lowest scoring total of the season, 26 points below its season average.
» Michigan has held all eight of its opponents to under 40 percent shooting.
» Jordan Poole tied a career high in three-pointers made and led all scorers with 21 points.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: #7/5 Michigan 76, #19/18 Purdue 57
Records: U-M (8-0, 1-0 B1G), Purdue (5-3, 0-1 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, Dec. 4 – at Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.), 8 p.m. CST
• Watch: Postgame Report | Beilein Press Conference
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Sophomore Jordan Poole scored 21 points, three other Wolverines scored in double figures, and Michigan held Purdue to 35.5 percent shooting as the University of Michigan men's basketball team (No. 7 AP, No. 5 ESPN Coaches) breezed past the No. 19/18 Boilermakers, 76-57, on Saturday (Dec. 1) in both teams' Big Ten opener inside Crisler Center.
The Wolverines improved to 8-0 overall (1-0 Big Ten) with the win over the Boilermakers.
U-M continued to be stifling defensively, as it has held each of its opponents to under 40 percent shooting this season. The Wolverines' 19-point win marks the largest margin of victory over Purdue since 1997.
Michigan shot 47 percent (26-of-55), which included 50 percent (13-of-26) from beyond the arc and had four players who hit at least two three-pointers.
Poole led all scorers with his 21 points, while junior Jon Teske and freshman Ignas Brazdeikis added 17 and 12 points, respectively. Junior Zavier Simpson netted 10 points and recorded seven assists to give him his seventh game this season with five assists or more.
On the boards, Teske brought down eight rebounds, Simpson had six and both Charles Matthews and Poole grabbed five.
The Wolverines started quick, taking a 13-4 in the first three and a half minutes while shooting at an 83.3-percent clip. The short run was capped off with back-to-back three-pointers from Poole and Matthews and caused Purdue to take an early timeout.
The Boilermakers scored on their first possession after the timeout, but the Wolverines quickly worked their way to a 10-point, 19-9Â advantage on a Brazdeikis three-pointer with 14:05 remaining in the half.
The first of two electrifying alley-oop dunks from Matthews to Teske put Michigan up, 31-16, with 10:33 remaining in the first half and capped off a 10-0 run that spanned just 90 seconds.
Michigan kept its foot on the gas the rest of the first half and entered the break with a 44-28 lead behind a 13-point, four rebound effort from Poole. Brazdeikis and Matthews added 10 and nine first-half points, respectively. As a team, Michigan shot 60 percent (9-of-15) from three and 53.1 percent (17-of-32) overall.
The Wolverines held Purdue to 35.5 percent (11-of-31) shooting in the first half and forced six turnovers. The Boilermakers were held to 28 first half points -- their lowest total in any half this season.
The second half kicked off with more defensive intensity from the Maize and Blue, as it held Purdue to 12 points over the first five-plus minutes. A Simpson drive down the middle of the lane and left-handed layup gave Michigan a 20-point lead, 60-40, with 14:25 remaining in the game.
Despite a Michigan field-goal drought of more than eight and a half minutes, Purdue was unable to capitalize and the Wolverines held a 64-50 advantage with 6:26 remaining. Back-to-back three-pointers from Teske and Poole jump-started the offense and increased the lead back to 20 points, 70-50, with less than five minutes to play.
The Wolverines held on to the big lead over the remaining five minutes of play to notch their first Big Ten win of the season.
Michigan will hit the road for its next game, a Big Ten matchup against Northwestern on Tuesday night (Dec. 4). The opening tip at Welsh-Ryan Arena is set for 8 p.m. CST, and the game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
