Michigan
0-0,0-0Big Ten
Eastern Michigan (ex)
0-0,0-0MAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Mich. | 28 | 34 | 62 |
| Michigan | 39 | 48 | 87 |
Michigan Cruises Past Eastern Michigan in Exhibition Opener
10/11/2026 5:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» Trey McKenney paced Michigan with 21 points, while Quinn Costello added 16 points off the bench and connected on a team-high four three-pointers.
» Jalen Reed returned to game action for the first time since suffering an Achilles injury while at LSU in November 2025, a span of 317 days. He finished with one point and one block.
» Seven newcomers saw action for the Wolverines, with six contributing to the scoring column.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The defending national champion University of Michigan men's basketball team opened its 2026-27 exhibition slate with an 87-62 victory over Eastern Michigan on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 11) at Crisler Center.
Trey McKenney led the Wolverines with 21 points, shooting 8-for-13 from the field and knocking down three triples. Quinn Costello added 16 points off the bench, while J.P. Estrella (14), Moustapha Thiam (11), Elliot Cadeau (10) and Joseph Hartman (10) also finished in double figures.
Cadeau found Thiam for an alley-oop slam off the opening tip, setting the tone for an 8-0 Michigan run. McKenney and Estrella followed with consecutive three-pointers from the right wing before Eastern Michigan chipped away at the lead, pulling within three, 15-12, with 12:38 remaining in the first half.
After a three-and-a-half-minute scoring drought, McKenney got the Wolverines going again with a three-pointer through contact at the 9:39 mark. Hartman got on the board with a corner three in front of the Eastern Michigan bench, and Costello followed with a triple from the same spot. McKenney capped a 12-2 U-M run with a second-chance layup, giving Michigan a 27-14 lead with 7:27 to play.
Eastern Michigan responded with a 14-4 run to cut Michigan's lead to three, 31-28, with 1:39 remaining in the half, despite a dunk from Ricky Liburd and a pair of free throws from Thiam. The Wolverines regained momentum before the break as Cadeau scored six straight points, including a four-point play from the top of the key. Costello capped an 8-0 U-M run with a fast-break dunk off a steal, sending Michigan into halftime with a 39-28 advantage.
Michigan connected on its first three field-goal attempts of the second half, including three-pointers from Estrella and Costello, before missing its next four shots. Kenny Noland ended the drought with a driving layup, while a Cadeau steal led to a fast-break basket from Hartman. The Wolverines forced four Eastern Michigan turnovers before the under-12 media timeout and held a 55-41 advantage.
U-M found its rhythm offensively, connecting on eight consecutive field goals from five different Wolverines, including back-to-back three-pointers from Costello and McKenney. Another Costello triple extended Michigan's lead to 23, 76-53, with 6:04 remaining. The Wolverines kept Eastern Michigan at bay down the stretch to secure the exhibition victory.
Michigan will continue its exhibition schedule Friday (Oct. 16), hosting Oregon State at 7 p.m. at Crisler Center. The game will stream live on B1G+.
