Michigan
26-2,16-1Big Ten
Minnesota
13-15,6-11Big Ten
Michigan Tops Minnesota to Secure Share of Big Ten Regular-Season Title
2/24/2026 11:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The third-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team defeated Minnesota, 77-67, on Tuesday night (Feb. 24) at Crisler Center to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten regular-season title. The victory marked Michigan's 100th all-time win over the Golden Gophers and improved the Wolverines to 26-2 overall and 16-1 in conference play.
Leaders and Best
Elliot Cadeau led Michigan with 15 points, four rebounds and five assists, including a key three-pointer midway through the second half that snapped a scoring drought. L.J. Cason added 14 points, five rebounds and four assists. Aday Mara finished with 10 points on 4-for-4 shooting and recorded a block, while Trey McKenney contributed 12 points and four three-pointers.
Second Half
Mara opened the scoring after halftime as Michigan (26-2, 16-1 B1G) protected a four-point lead. Minnesota (13-15, 6-11 B1G) answered with a three-point play to cut the deficit to two before Michigan responded.
Yaxel Lendeborg hit a three at the 16:34 mark for his first points of the night, and Morez Johnson Jr. followed with a layup. Minnesota went more than three minutes without a field goal during a stretch in which Michigan converted four of five shots.
Cason's three pushed the lead to 49-42, and he later assisted on a Mara dunk before finishing a steal on the other end. After a brief drought, Cadeau and McKenney hit back-to-back threes to extend the margin to 10.
Midway through the half, Michigan connected on four straight three-pointers -- one each from Cadeau and McKenney and two from Cason -- fueling a 12-2 run that built a 63-49 lead.
Minnesota did not trim the deficit below double digits over the final eight minutes. Roddy Gayle Jr. went 2-for-2 at the free-throw line after the final media timeout, and Johnson added a second-chance layup to seal the win.
First Half
Michigan scored on its first two possessions, getting a dunk from Mara and a three-pointer from Cadeau. Minnesota tied the game at five before Cason provided a spark off the bench with a second-chance three and a steal.
Gayle scored six points in a two-minute stretch to give Michigan a 19-18 lead at the nine-minute mark. McKenney later drained a three to start an 11-0 run that spanned nearly five minutes. During that stretch, Minnesota went 0-for-8 from the field as Michigan built a 28-20 advantage.
Minnesota answered with six quick points, but Michigan carried a 32-28 lead into halftime behind seven points from Cadeau. The 32-point half was Michigan's lowest-scoring half of the season.
What's Next
Michigan travels to Champaign, Ill., to face No. 10 Illinois on Friday (Feb. 27) at State Farm Center. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m., with the game airing live on Fox.
Game Notes
• Michigan clinched at least a share of the Big Ten regular-season title for the first time since 2020-21.
• The win marked Michigan's 100th all-time victory over Minnesota.
• Cason set a career high with four three-pointers, surpassing his previous best of three against La Salle on Dec. 21.
• Burnett recorded his 400th career rebound and surpassed 200 career assists.
• Gayle eclipsed 1,200 career points, finishing with 1,201.
• Johnson reached 400 career rebounds.
• The victory tied the program record for Big Ten regular-season wins (16), matching the 1984-85 and 1976-77 teams.
• Michigan improved to 26-2, the best start in program history.
