Michigan
6-4,1-1Big Ten
Minnesota
8-1,1-1Big Ten
Michigan Suffers Setback vs. Minnesota After Cold-Shooting Second Half
12/11/2021 10:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» Michigan lost its first Big Ten game of the season after a 75-65 loss to Minnesota at Crisler Center.
» Hunter Dickinson led U-M with his third straight double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds).
» Moussa Diabate returned from illness and posted seven points and a career-best 13 rebounds.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: Minnesota 75, Michigan 65
Records: U-M (6-4, 1-1 B1G), Minnesota (8-1, 1-1 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Dec. 18 -- vs. Southern Utah (Crisler Center), 7 p.m. (TV: Big Ten Network)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team suffered its first Big Ten loss of the season after falling 75-65 to Minnesota on Saturday night (Dec. 11) at Crisler Center.
A 12-4 Gopher run to start the start the second half and cold shooting by the Wolverines helped Minnesota reach a lead as high as a 16 points and hold on to record the first conference victory for first-year head coach Ben Johnson.
For the Maize and Blue, Hunter Dickinson posted his third straight and ninth career double-double with his 19-point, 10-rebound performance. Returning from illness, freshman Moussa Diabate returned and posted his first career double-figure rebound game with 13. He added seven points, three assists and two blocks. Graduate student DeVante' Jones scored a season-high 14 points, while Eli Brooks added 12 points -- his 10th straight game in double figures.
Focusing on big-man play early, Dickinson started out hot, scoring six of the Wolverines first 11 points. Michigan (6-4, 1-1 Big Ten) attacked the paint and the boards to make it 13-9 heading into the first media timeout. However, the game went back and forth, with the first half featuring seven lead changes and six ties. After a deep three-pointer, U-M went up 18-14. With a 5-1 run, Minnesota (8-1, 1-1 Big Ten) tied the game at 19 apiece with 8:42 left to play.
With the score tied at 30 with 2:03 on the clock, a Dickinson jumper helped spark a half-closing 6-2 Wolverine run. After a last-second field goal from Diabate dropped, U-M headed to the locker room up 36-32. Dickinson finished the first half with 14 points on 7-for-8 shooting from the field.
Minnesota came out firing to start the second half and used a 19-8 run to build a seven-point lead, 51-44, coming out of the first media timeout. U-M chipped away at the lead, but the Gophers -- who shot 64 percent in the second half -- used a 15-6 run and held U-M scoreless for four minutes to take a 16-point lead with 6:22 remaining.
Diabate and Caleb Houstan combined to start a critical 9-0 Wolverine run that cut the Gopher lead to just four with three minutes left. Forcing two 10-second violations and staying within reach, the Wolverines were unable to put points on the board and the Gophers secured the victory.
Michigan will return to action on Saturday (Dec. 18) when it hosts Southern Utah at Crisler Center. Tipoff off is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
