UConn pulled away from Michigan with an 18-4 run spanning the end of the first half and the start of the second, securing an 85-77 victory in front of a full house at TD Garden. The rematch of last season’s national championship game unfolded seven months later to a roaring crowd, with the Huskies building a lead Michigan struggled to counter.
Michigan’s offense sputtered for much of the night, shooting 41.3 percent overall and just 25 percent from beyond the arc. The Wolverines managed only one made shot outside the paint in the first half and didn’t hit their second 3-pointer until Quinn Costello drained a corner triple with just over 15 minutes left. By then, UConn had stretched the lead to 54-39, a deficit Michigan’s offense was unable to chip away enough to overcome.
The momentum swung late in the first half when UConn’s bench received a technical foul after protesting a loose ball call. Michigan’s Trey McKenney missed the first two free throws but finally converted one of four attempts, and the teams traded baskets before UConn closed the half on a 9-0 run to take a 13-point lead into the break.
McKenney, who had a rough start missing his first eight shots including seven in the first half, erupted in the second half to finish with a team-high 22 points. He scored all his points after halftime, hitting seven of eight shots in a 10-minute stretch and accounting for 20 of Michigan’s 24 points during the middle of the second half. Despite his surge, Michigan couldn’t fully close the gap, partially due to the absence of Elliot Cadeau and Moustapha Thiam in the latter stages, both sidelined with four fouls.
The Wolverines leaned on newcomers and veterans alike. Tennessee transfer J.P. Estrella impressed again with 19 points and nine rebounds in just his second game, while fifth-year player Roddy Gayle Jr. contributed 16 points. Michigan’s bench, however, went 2-for-12 from the field, adding only eight points overall.
For UConn, Braylon Mullins led the scoring with 23 points. Silas Demary Jr. added 21, and Colben Landrew chipped in 13. The Huskies maintained a lead of nine or more points for most of the second half, only allowing Michigan to cut the deficit to eight in the final 18 seconds.
Michigan briefly narrowed the gap to nine on a McKenney three-pointer before UConn responded with a 9-2 run that extended their advantage back to 16 with just under eight minutes remaining. Four of those points came from Mullins’ consecutive free throws following a technical foul called on the Michigan bench.
Michigan showed signs of physicality on the boards, outrebounding UConn 35-33 and grabbing 13 offensive rebounds that led to 15 second-chance points. Estrella led Michigan’s rebounding effort with nine, followed by Thiam with five. Guards McKenney and Cadeau each added three rebounds. This was an improvement from Michigan’s opener against Oakland, where rebounding was a concern.
Thiam’s night contrasted sharply with his explosive start. The Cincinnati transfer dunked six seconds into the game but struggled afterward, scoring only that one basket and battling foul trouble. He sat out the final minutes of the first half after picking up two fouls and played just four minutes in the second half before fouling out with 12:19 left. He also fumbled the ball multiple times and never found a rhythm, likely hampered by his recovery from the flu.
Michigan now turns its focus to Marquette, hosting the Golden Eagles on Wednesday. Marquette, coached by Shaka Smart, opened its season with a win over Mercyhurst after a disappointing 12-20 record last year. The Wolverines will look to bounce back quickly against another power-conference opponent.
According to Yahoo Sports.
