Michigan
10-0,2-0Big Ten
Maryland
6-5,0-2Big Ten
Lendeborg Leads Way as Michigan Stays Perfect With Win at Maryland
12/13/2025 11:50:00 PM | Men's Basketball
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Yaxel Lendeborg's near triple-double powered the second-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team to a poised road win over Maryland on Saturday (Dec. 13) night. The 101-83 triumph saw the Wolverines pull away late at Xfinity Center, using a balanced offensive attack to secure the sixth 10-0 start in program history.
U-M's versatility proved too much for the Terrapins as Michigan logged a season-best beyond the arc at 63 percent (12-for-19) while outscoring the home side 44-26 in the paint and 24-5 on fast breaks. The Wolverines also closed out the victory from the free-throw line, where they shot a season-high with more than 20 attempts at 86 percent.
Leaders and Best
Lendeborg stuffed the stat sheet with 29 points, a career-high nine assists, eight rebounds, three blocks and two steals. The graduate student did not miss a shot in the second half, going a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, also connecting on all three of his shots from deep.
Elliot Cadeau added a points-assists double-double with 12 points and 10 helpers, while Aday Mara made eight of his 10 field-goal attempts en route to 18 points on the night.
L.J. Cason also contributed a new season-high 12 points, shooting 75 percent (3-of-4) from three in 18 minutes of work.
Second Half
Maryland (6-5, 0-2 Big Ten) continued its strong shooting into the second, drilling a pair of threes to open a nine-point lead two minutes into the half. With Michigan facing its largest deficit of the season, Lendeborg answered immediately with the Wolverines' first 10 points out of the locker room.
Benefiting from crisp ball movement and crafty playcalling, he drained consecutive threes to pull U-M (10-0, 2-0 Big Ten) within one and shoot Maryland out of its zone defense.
With 14:42 remaining, Mara delivered a behind-the-back pass out of a double team in the corner, setting up Cadeau for a three to cap a 15-4 run and give Michigan its first lead since the four-minute mark of the first half.
Cason helped U-M build a nine-point advantage at the under-eight media timeout, knocking down a pair of triples sandwiched by a highlight reel alley-oop. Lendeborg notched his fourth assist of the night by threading a pass from the wing to Mara, who finished with a no-look slam over his head to silence the home crowd.
Leading by as many as 15, the momentum fully swung Michigan's way when Lendeborg read a Terrapin out-of-bounds play and tipped the inbounds pass. Cadeau capitalized on Maryland's 11th turnover of the night, pushing the pace and finding Roddy Gayle Jr. for a two-handed jam to punctuate a 9-0 Wolverine run.
Maryland couldn't get stops down the stretch as the Wolverines closed out the win at the charity stripe, where Michigan made 14 of 15 attempts in the second half.
First Half
U-M weathered a trio of early Maryland threes before Mara steadied the offense with a post hook over his left shoulder to spark a 10-2 spurt and take a 17-12 lead.
Maryland's compact zone defense and aggressive double teams disrupted the Wolverines' interior rhythm, and even after Cason calmly drilled a 25-footer from the top of the key, the Terrapins responded from deep to lead by one at the under-12 media timeout with a 22-21 advantage.
U-M found success on the break, leading to a 15-3 advantage in transition points, starting when Cason connected with Mara on a high-arching lob pass, which the seven-footer dunked through contact to put the Wolverines ahead 25-22 with 10:28 left in the first half.
Mara scored on the next two possessions, flushing an alley-oop from Cadeau and banking in a righty-hook, but the Terrapins continued their barrage from beyond the arc with 10 first-half treys.
Neither team extended a lead more than six as a cross-court skip pass from Gayle led to a run-ending corner three from Nimari Burnett with under five to play. Gayle rattled in a three-pointer of his own on the ensuing possession, helping the Wolverines shoot 60 percent from deep in the first half, despite a 51-45 deficit.
What's Next
U-M kicks off a three-game homestand next Sunday (Dec. 21) at 4 p.m. against La Salle at Crisler Center. The game will be streamed live on Peacock.
Notes
• Lendeborg's 29 points surpassed his 25-point outing against Middle Tennessee for the most points scored by a Wolverine this season.
• Cadeau's points-assist double-double is the first since Devante Jones logged 25 points and 10 assists on Feb. 27, 2022, versus Illinois.
• Michigan's nine turnovers are the fewest committed in a game all season.
• The Maize and Blue has scored 100+ points in four of their past five games.
