Michigan
7-15,2-9Big Ten
Rutgers
11-10,3-7Big Ten
Michigan Unable to Hold Second-Half Lead in Loss to Rutgers
2/3/2024 7:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team was unable to hold on to its second-half lead and fell to Rutgers 69-59 on Saturday (Feb. 3) at Crisler Center.
Leaders and Best
Olivier Nkamhoua led the Wolverines with 14 points, while Tarris Reed Jr. scored 12 and pulled in a career-high 15 rebounds. Dug McDaniel was the third U-M player in double figures, scoring 10 points.
The Turning Point
Trailing 57-51 with 7:19 left in the second half, Rutgers went on a 14-0 run that spanned more than four minutes to put the Scarlet Knights ahead 65-57, a lead they never relinquished.
First Half
Michigan (7-15, 2-9 Big Ten) opened the game on a 12-2 run, during which Rutgers was held scoreless for nearly four minutes and the Wolverines led 12-4 at the 15:09 mark. Midway through the first half, Rutgers shot 20 percent (4-for-15) from the field. Michigan capitalized on the Scarlet Knights' struggles and led 20-9 with 9:55 left.
Rutgers (11-10, 3-7 Big Ten) started to find a rhythm and cut into the Michigan lead. Michigan led 20-14 with eight minutes to play, but Jaelin Llewellyn extended the lead with a three-pointer. Michigan maintained a steady lead for the next five minutes of play.
With 2:22 left, Michigan went up by 12 (35-23) but fell silent for two minutes. Rutgers used the U-M scoring drought to go on a 7-0 run in the final minutes and inched closer. Michigan watched as its 12-point lead was cut down to five points. Despite the brief scoreless stretch, Michigan converted on six straight field goals to end the half with a 39-30 advantage.
Second Half
After Rutgers made the opening basket of the second half, Michigan continued its hot shooting by making three straight field goals leading to an 8-0 run. With 17:03 remaining, Michigan went up by 15 points thanks to a three-point play from Nkmahoua, leading Rutgers 47-32.
After growing its lead, Michigan went scoreless for three minutes, missing four straight field goals and allowing Rutgers to go on a 7-0 run to find itself down just 47-39 at the 14:02 mark. Four minutes later, Michigan's shooting fell flat again and Rutgers' subsequent 8-0 run to cut the U-M lead to four, 51-47.
Rutgers hit a three-pointer to pull within three points, 57-54, which forced Michigan to call a timeout with 6:53 left on the clock. The Scarlet Knights continued their shooting success, going on a 12-0 run while Michigan missed five consecutive shot attempts over the next 3:28. The scoring run put Rutgers in front 63-57 with 3:51 remaining. Michigan missed nine of its final 10 shots and was unable to mount a late comeback.
What's Next
Up next for the Wolverines, they will play host to Wisconsin on Wednesday (Feb. 7) at Crisler Center. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
