Michigan
33-3,19-1Big Ten
Saint Louis
29-6,15-3Atlantic 10
Lendeborg, Mara Power U-M to Sweet 16 with Second-Round Win over Saint Louis
3/21/2026 4:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Led by Yaxel Lendeborg's game-high 25 points, on 9-for-13 shooting, and an all-around showing from Aday Mara, the Midwest Region's top-seeded University of Michigan men's basketball team rolled past No. 9 seed Saint Louis, 95-72, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday (March 21) at KeyBank Center to advance to the Sweet 16.
Leaders and Best
For the first time since Jan. 5, 2025, all five Wolverine starters scored in double figures. Michigan's starting lineup combined for 79 points -- surpassing Saint Louis' team total of 72. Mara finished with 16 points, five rebounds and four blocks, pushing his season total to 96 -- just one shy of tying the program's single-season record set by Roy Tarpley in 1985-86. Lendeborg added six rebounds and knocked down three triples, while Morez Johnson Jr. chipped in 15 points and a game-high eight boards. Elliot Cadeau added 12 points on three triples with four rebounds and a game-high eight assists. Nimari Burnett contributed 11 points on a trio of three-pointers and four rebounds.
Turning Point
Saint Louis trimmed Michigan's lead to seven with 12:50 remaining, but the game quickly shifted from there. The Billikens managed just two field goals and four free throws over the next eight minutes, while Michigan surged offensively with three triples, five two-point baskets and seven free throws. The run was punctuated by a powerful dunk from Lendeborg, who accounted for four of the Wolverines' eight field goals during the stretch. By the end of the run, U-M had built a 24-point cushion -- a margin it would hover for the rest of the game.
First Half
Both Michigan (33-3) and Saint Louis (29-6) opened the game in rhythm, each hitting its first three shots to knot the score at 7-7 in the opening minutes. Burnett knocked down a corner three, followed by a block from Mara and a floater from Lendeborg giving the Wolverines a lead heading into the first media timeout.
Michigan then hit four of its next five shots as part of a 13-2 run, highlighted by consecutive buckets from Mara. After a brief scoring lull, Saint Louis responded with a 9-0 run to erase an eight-point deficit to take the lead. Cadeau halted the surge, but the Billikens added another push before a trio of Wolverines — Cadeau, Trey McKenney and Will Tschetter -- helped Michigan regain control with just over eight minutes remaining.
Back-to-back three-pointers from Cadeau and Lendeborg sparked another Michigan push, paired with defensive pressure that forced three Saint Louis turnovers in a two-minute span. The Wolverines extended their lead to as many as 12 and carried a 48-39 advantage into halftime.
Second Half
Michigan wasted little time extending its lead after the break, opening with a quick layup from Johnson. Despite shooting 60 percent early in the half, the Wolverines saw Saint Louis stay within striking distance as the Billikens knocked down four three-pointers and six total field goals in just over five minutes to pull within two possessions.
Lendeborg responded with a momentum-swinging sequence -- a powerful dunk followed by a three-pointer -- to push Michigan's lead back into double figures with 11:17 to play. The advantage continued to grow, fueled by free throws from Roddy Gayle Jr. and a transition layup from Burnett. Johnson added six straight points as Michigan entered the under-eight timeout with an 18-point lead.
The Wolverines maintained control down the stretch, keeping the margin around 20 points over the final eight minutes. Oscar Goodman capped the scoring with an and-one finish, sealing Michigan's 95-point output and 23-point victory.
What's Next
Michigan will face the winner of Sunday night's matchup between 4-seed Alabama and 5-seed Texas Tech in the regional semifinal Friday (March 27) at United Center in Chicago. The Wolverines advance to the Sweet 16 for the seventh time in their last seven NCAA Tournament appearances, dating back to 2017.
Notes
• Saturday's contest marked the first Round of 32 game in NCAA Tournament history featuring two teams that each scored 100 points in their opening Round of 64 matchup.
• The victory matches a program record with 33 wins, equaling the total set by the 2017-18 team under John Beilein, which advanced to the Final Four and the national championship game.
• The game marked just the second all-time meeting between Michigan and Saint Louis. The previous matchup came more than 55 years ago in the opening round of the 1970 Rainbow Classic in Honolulu, where U-M earned an 80-78 win.
• Since 2013, U-M has had nine Sweet 16 appearances. It entered today with eight, tied with Duke for the second most nationally in that span and behind only Gonzaga with nine. Both Gonzaga and Duke have opportunities to extend its streaks this weekend.
• Michigan has now scored 95 or more points in consecutive NCAA Tournament games for the first time in program history.
• With four blocks against Saint Louis, Mara increased his season total to 96, one shy of Roy Tarpley's program record of 97 set in 1985-86. His performance also marked the first time a Wolverine recorded four or more blocks in an NCAA Tournament game since Hunter Dickinson on March 17, 2022, against Colorado State.
• Cadeau's eight assists pushed his season total to 206, making him the sixth Wolverine to reach 200 assists in a season (seventh occurrence overall) and the first since Zavier Simpson (236) in 2019-20. Cadeau has recorded at least five assists in 24 games this season and is averaging 9.0 assists over his last three outings.
• Michigan recorded back-to-back games with 10 or more three-pointers for the first time since early February. The Wolverines made 11 threes against Howard in the opening round and followed with 11 more against Saint Louis.
