Michigan
1-0,0-0Big Ten
Oakland
0-1,0-0Horizon
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland | 36 | 32 | 68 |
| Michigan | 47 | 37 | 84 |
11/2/2026 9:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» J.P. Estrella recorded a double-double, finishing with 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.
» Roddy Gayle Jr. and Trey McKenney paced Michigan with 17 points apiece, leading four double-figure Wolverine scorers.
» McKenney and Quinn Costello made six of U-M's seven three-pointers.
» Michigan doubled up Oakland 48-24 in the paint and held it to 22.2 percent shooting (8-for-36) in the second half.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 16-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team defeated Oakland 84-68 in its season opener on Monday night (Nov. 2) at Crisler Center.
Roddy Gayle Jr. and Trey McKenney led the Wolverines in scoring with 17 points each. Gayle made seven field goals, while McKenney connected on three three-pointers. J.P. Estrella added 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds before fouling out with five minutes to play. Quinn Costello rounded out Michigan's double-digit scorers with 13 points on three three-pointers of his own.
Michigan's first points of the 2026-27 season came courtesy of a pair of Elliot Cadeau free throws on the opening possession. Estrella followed with three consecutive layups to give Michigan a 10-5 lead through the opening five minutes. Costello recorded his first collegiate points on a three-pointer from the right corner, marking Michigan's first triple of the season. Oakland responded with a 10-0 run to take an 18-13 lead into the under-12 media timeout.
Michigan regained the lead behind baskets from Gayle, Cadeau and Oscar Goodman, while holding Oakland scoreless during a stretch in which the Golden Grizzlies missed five consecutive field-goal attempts. McKenney scored his first points on a three-pointer, snapping a stretch of five consecutive Michigan misses from beyond the arc. He followed with a layup and converted the ensuing free throw to complete the three-point play. Estrella capped an 8-0 Michigan run over 82 seconds, giving the Wolverines their first double-digit lead, 29-19, with 6:22 remaining in the half.
A pair of Jalen Reed layups and another McKenney three-pointer helped Michigan maintain its advantage as the Wolverines connected on six of nine field-goal attempts during the stretch. Oakland cut the deficit to six points, 40-34, at the media timeout with 2:32 left in the half. The Wolverines closed the half with seven unanswered points, capped by a Cadeau-to-Gayle alley-oop dunk in the final seconds, to take a 47-36 lead into halftime.
Both teams struggled with ball security early in the second half, as Michigan and Oakland combined for nine points over the opening 4:30. Costello's second three-pointer of the night ended a Michigan scoring drought of more than four minutes and extended the Wolverines' lead to nine points, 52-43, with 14:14 remaining. Costello connected on his third triple just over two minutes later, and Kenny Noland followed with his first points of the contest on a three-pointer in front of the Michigan bench, giving U-M a 62-47 advantage with 11:44 to play.
Michigan went nearly five minutes without a field goal following Noland's three-pointer but maintained its lead with five combined free throws from McKenney and Gayle. Goodman ended the drought with a fast-break layup off his own steal at 6:52, extending Michigan's advantage to 69-55. A Gayle jumper pushed the lead to 16 points, 71-55, with 6:20 remaining.
The Wolverines continued to hold off Oakland despite another stretch of missed field-goal attempts. Gayle scored twice in the final three minutes, while Reed added a dunk off an assist from Cadeau. McKenney connected on his third three-pointer of the night with eight seconds remaining to seal Michigan's 84-68 victory.
The Wolverines will head to Boston to take on No. 4-ranked UConn on Friday (Nov. 6) at 8 p.m. for a rematch of the 2026 national championship game. The Hall of Fame Series Boston matchup will be broadcast live on TNT and truTV, with streaming available on HBO Max.
Game Notes
• Michigan extended its winning streak in season openers to 24 games, dating back to the 2002-03 season.
• The Wolverines faced Oakland in their season opener for the second consecutive year and sixth time in series history.
• Michigan is now 10-1 all-time against Oakland, including boasting an 8-0 record at home.
• Mike Boynton Jr. earned his first regular-season victory as a head coach since Feb. 21, 2024, when he led Oklahoma State to an 80-76 road win over Cincinnati.
• Goodman recorded his first collegiate start after appearing in 16 games during the 2025-26 season.
• Michigan scored 19 fast-break points while holding Oakland to zero.
