Michigan
7-5,1-1Big Ten
Central Florida
9-2,1-0AAC
Michigan Drops Non-Conference Finale at Central Florida
12/30/2021 9:49:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» Michigan fell 85-71 to Central Florida to close its non-conference season.
» The Wolverines were led by the backcourt duo of Eli Brooks (18 points) and DeVante' Jones (17 points)
» UCF shot 72 percent in the second half, going 8-for-8 from long range.
Site: Orlando, Fla. (Addition Financial Arena)
Score: Central Florida 85, Michigan 71
Records: U-M (7-5), Central Florida (9-2)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, Jan. 4 -- at Rutgers (Piscataway, N.J.), 7 p.m. (TV: Big Ten Network)
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Playing for the first time in 12 days, the University of Michigan men's basketball team fell at Central Florida, 85-71, Thursday (Dec. 30) at Addition Financial Arena.
Despite the Wolverines holding a 12-point advantage two minutes into the second half, Central Florida went white hot from the field, shooting 72 percent (18-for-25) and a perfect 8-for-8 from long range to outscore Michigan 54-36 in the second half and win by 14 points, 85-71. Knight guards Darin Green, Jr. (7-for-9 3FG; 27 points) and Brandon Mahan (5-for-7 3FG; 26 points) made all 12 of UCF's three-pointers.
Graduate guards Eli Brooks and DeVante' Jones paced the Maize and Blue with 35 of the Wolverines' 71 points. Brooks led with 18, including four three-pointers and four assists, while Jones had 17 points with four triples as well as seven rebounds and three assists. Sophomore Hunter Dickinson finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, while freshman Moussa Diabate had 13 points and six boards.
In the return game of a home-and-home series with the Knights, the opening half began as one could expect after the holiday break, going back-and-forth with five early lead changes. A mid-half run by the Wolverines, paced by the play of U-M's backcourt duo of Brooks and Jones, helped U-M build a six-point lead, 23-17, with under 10 minutes left in the first frame. The pair drained three of U-M's four first half three-pointers, while Jones added seven rebounds.
Despite a 0-for-7 U-M drought over the next four minutes, the Wolverines were able to maintain a lead with the inside presence of Dickinson, who finished with eight points in the first half. With U-M up seven with under two minutes remaining, the Knights were able to convert on U-M misses and cut the Wolverine lead to four, 35-31 at the break. A breakaway dunk from UCF's Darius Johnson nearly cut the U-M lead to two heading into halftime, but it was waved off after he didn't beat the clock.
A second half opening triple from Jones and a pair of free throws from Diabate doubled the Maize and Blue lead to nine, 40-31, just two minutes into the half. Following a driving Brooks flip pass to Dickinson for a dunk, Jones caught the Knights off guard on the inbounds with a steal, which led to a Brooks put back and extended the lead to 12, forcing a UCF timeout.
After the first media timeout with U-M up nine, UCF got right back into the game with back-to-back three-pointers from Brandon Mahan (his third) and Darin Green Jr. (his fifth), and U-M was forced to call a timeout leading by just three, 49-46.
The Knights' red hot shooting helped them take the lead for the first time since 27 seconds into the game after a block led to a dunk from Green, followed by a Green steal that led to a C.J. Walker dunk and put UCF up, 50-49. With a sixth triple from Green, the Knights were on an 18-2 run and were 9-for-11 from the field (81.8%) heading into the media timeout.
Despite forcing three UCF turnovers, the Wolverines could not convert as the Knights maintained a 67-62 edge with under six minutes to play. Following a technical foul on U-M coach Juwan Howard, the Wolverines trailed by six, but triples by Jones and Brooks helped Michigan cut the deficit to just two, 64-62, at the media timeout.
A second four minute drought by U-M helped Central Florida continue grow its lead to nine and despite their best efforts, the Wolverines could not contain the Knights' offensive attack.
With the non-conference season completed, the Maize and Blue turn its attention back to the Big Ten season. The Wolverines will stay on the road for the next game, heading to Piscataway, N.J., on Tuesday (Jan. 4) to take on Rutgers. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
