Michigan
7-5,1-0Big Ten
Central Michigan
5-8,0-0MAC
Michigan Falls Short Against CMU in Non-Conference Finale
12/29/2022 11:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A three-pointer with 11 seconds remaining in a game that had 11 lead changes and seven ties pushed Central Michigan past the University of Michigan men's basketball team on Thursday night (Dec. 29) as the Wolverines dropped their non-conference finale to the visiting Chippewas at Crisler Center, 63-61.
SUMMARY: Michigan (7-5) led Central Michigan (5-8) by as many as eight in the first half but took just a one-point lead into halftime before a back-and-forth second half pushed the game right down to the wire. Though CMU took a one-point lead with 12 minutes remaining on a three-pointer from the Chippewas' Reggie Bass, the Wolverines fought to tie the score four times and were able to regain the lead with 2:27 on the clock thanks to a free throw from Hunter Dickinson that gave U-M a one-point edge, 61-60. Despite the advantage, Michigan missed each of its next four field goal attempts and a CMU three-pointer from Bass with 11 seconds remaining was enough to give Central Michigan the win, 63-61.
SECOND HALF: Michigan took a 28-27 lead into halftime and it was Kobe Bufkin who opened the second-half scoring for the Wolverines as he knocked down an and-one jumper, which he followed up soon after with a jump-stop floater to put Michigan up four, 34-29. Dickinson then sank a pair of free throws and put U-M back up by six, but a 9-2 CMU rally -- which included a 6-0 run -- put the Chippewas in front 38-37 with 15:35 to play. The lead changed hands again when back-to-back free throws from Dickinson allowed Michigan to regain a one-point edge, but a 4-0 CMU run put the Chippewas up three before a corner triple from Bufkin tied the game back up at 42 and Tarris Reed Jr. got a putback layup to give the lead back to U-M once more. A timely three-pointer from Central Michigan's Bass reclaimed the lead for CMU and sparked a 7-0 run, but Michigan clawed back again as Bufkin made a fastbreak and-one layup to cut the deficit to two and a Dickinson layup tied the game again, 49-49, with 8:18 on the clock. From there, a pair of baskets from CMU, a Dickinson free throw and another and-one from Bufkin tied the game at 58 with four minutes remaining. Central Michigan added a putback layup to reclaim the lead, which was negated by a pair of Dug McDaniel free throws. With under three minutes to play, a Bufkin steal led to a go-ahead free throw for Dickinson after a timeout. After Jett Howard missed a triple with under a minute remaining, Central Michigan's Bass made a contested three-pointer to take a two-point lead with 11 seconds left in the game. Down one, U-M quickly called timeout and when play resumed, McDaniel broke a full-court press and found Bufkin in the corner for a three-point attempt which fell short, and Dickinson could not get a putback attempt to go in as time expired.
FIRST HALF: Howard scored the first five points of the game for the Wolverines on a transition dunk and three-pointer from the right wing, and Bufkin euro-stepped to a layup to cap off a 7-0 run and put U-M in front of the Chippewas early. The Maize and Blue led by as many as eight points in the opening frame, but Central Michigan cut the Michigan advantage to just one on a Jesse Zarzuela and-one layup with 59 seconds on the clock and the made free-throw tied things up, 24-24. McDaniel made a free throw to break the tie just three seconds later, but a triple from Bass gave the Chippewas a two-point lead with 28 seconds to play. Michigan answered, however, as Howard drove to the basket in the final seconds and kicked to a wide-open Joey Baker, who knocked down a three from the corner to give the lead back to Michigan just before the buzzer.
WHAT'S NEXT: The Wolverines will be back at Crisler Center on New Year's Day for a Big Ten matchup with Maryland on Sunday (Jan. 1) at 4:30 p.m. The game will be televised live on FS1.
Notes
• Kobe Bufkin led the Wolverines in scoring with 16 points. Over his last four games, Bufkin is averaging a team-best 18.8 points per game.
• Jett Howard scored in double figures for the 11th time in 12 games as well his 10th straight game.
• Joey Baker appeared in his 100th career game after checking in off the bench in the first half. He played in 88 games at Duke before joining U-M as a graduate transfer this season.
• After moving into the starting five, Dug McDaniel has 19 assists in his last four games (4.8 per game). In the seven games prior, he dished 17 (2.7 per game).
• For the fourth time this season, four Wolverines reached double figures (Bufkin, 16; Dickinson, 13; Howard, 12; McDaniel, 10). U-M is 3-1 when four or more players score 10-plus.
