Michigan
17-0; 6-0
Northwestern
10-7; 1-5
Career Nights from Simpson, Teske Spark U-M to Victory, Program-Best 17-0 Start
1/13/2019 10:48:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» Michigan improved to 17-0 on the season, the best start in program history, surpassing its best starts from the 2012-13 and 1985-86 campaigns.
» Zavier Simpson scored a career-high best 24 points, including a career-best five 3-pointers.
» Jon Teske tied a career-high 17 points, while adding 11 boards for his second double-double in as many games.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: #2/4 Michigan 80, Northwestern 60
Records: U-M (17-0, 6-0 B1G), Northwestern (10-7, 1-5 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Jan. 19 -- at Wisconsin (Madison, Wis.), 11 a.m. CST - ESPN
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team earned a dominating 80-60 victory over Northwestern in a Big Ten contest on Sunday (Jan. 13) at Crisler Center. The Wolverines are 17-0 overall this season, which sets a program-best season start, surpassing the 2012-13 and 1985-86 teams that started 16-0.
Four Wolverines reached double-digit scoring against Northwestern, while Michigan hit 11 three-pointers, the seventh time this season that U-M has made 10 threes or more. Michigan also forced the Wildcats into 13 turnovers, which turned into 13 points.
Junior Zavier Simpson paced the Wolverines with a career- and game-high 24 points, which including five three-pointers -- also a career high. He added five rebounds and four assists, and did not commit a turnover in 34 minutes. Junior Jon Teske added a trio of three-pointers to set a career high, as he finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds to notch his second straight double-double of the season. Charles Matthews and Ignas Brazdeikis added 13 and 11 points, respectively, to round out Michigan's top scorers.
The Wolverines jumped out to an early 10-0 lead in the first three minutes of the game, propelled by two early mid-range jumpers from Teske. Northwestern then hit three consecutive baskets to cut the lead to 12-8 at the first media timeout.
Teske provided a spark for the Wolverines, first converting on a dunk off of a Jordan Poole bounce pass, then grabbing an offensive rebound and forcing a steal over a stretch of 1:40.
The Wildcats and Wolverines traded buckets for the next several minutes. Miller Kopp paced Northwestern, converting on his first three field-goal attempts, but Michigan continued to hold the advantage, 21-16, with 9:38 to play in the first half.
A three-point basket from Simpson at the 4:42 mark extended the Michigan lead to double digits for the first time in the contest, 34-22.
Back-to-back threes from Teske, a Mathews dunk and a Simpson layup pushed the Michigan lead to 50-28 at halftime. Teske's 17 first-half points on 7-of-8 shooting led all scorers and tied his career high in points. His three three-pointers set a new career-high.
Coming into Sunday's game, the Wildcats had not allowed an opponent more than five made three-pointers in their last 11 games. Michigan had seven treys in the first half. U-M closed out the half on a 15-3 run over the last 3:52. The Wolverines' 50 first-half points are the most they have scored in any half this season.
The second half started with neither team being able to put together a sustained run. Northwestern was unable to put a dent in its deficit, as Michigan led, 54-36, with 15:15 remaining in the game.
Michigan went on a short scoring drought, shooting 1-of-9 over a two-minute stretch, but the Wolverines held a commanding 56-41 edge with 11 minutes to go. An and-one dunk by Matthews kick-started the Michigan offense, and pushed the lead back to 16.
A mid-range jumper from Simpson made the score 70-52 with under seven minutes to play. The shot gave Simpson a career-high 18 points. He then connected on two more threes, which set a career-high ninth field goal.
The Wolverines will be back in action on Saturday (Jan. 19), when they travel to Madison, Wisconsin, to take on the Badgers. Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CST, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
