Michigan Basketball rides offensive resurgence to win over Purdue in Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals

Michigan bounced back from a recent skid by taking down Purdue 86-68 in the Big Ten quarterfinals. With the win, the Wolverines advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2021:

The Michigan Wolverines bounced back from a recent losing skid by taking down the Purdue Boilermakers 86-68 in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. With the win, Michigan advanced to the Big Ten semifinals for the first time since 2021.

Following a three-game losing streak to finish the regular season, the Wolverines were desperate to get back in the win column and Dusty May’s team was able to do just that by picking up a much-needed win behind four double-figure scorers.

Danny Wolf had a team-high 18 points to go with 11 rebounds and six assists, while Vlad Goldin totaled 15 points and eight rebounds. Tre Donaldson and Roddy Gayle Jr. finally got back on track, combining for 24 points and seven assists.

Michigan resembled the team that was atop the Big Ten standings less than a month ago as the offense found its groove for the first time in weeks. The Wolverines finished with 38 points in the paint, 25 assists and a 40-34 rebounding edge.

FIRST HALF

Purdue jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but the Wolverines responded with a 12-0 run . Nimari Burnett caught fire by scoring seven points in the opening five minutes to help Michigan overcome a slow start and take a lead into the first media timeout.

Even though most of the team wasn’t shooting well, the Wolverines came out with much more effort and physicality compared to what we’ve seen in recent weeks. The heightened energy resulted in Michigan seizing a 24-14 lead.

Donaldson contributed to the early advantage as he knocked down a three-pointer, followed by a steal and an assist to Wolf for a fast-break layup. Later in the first half, Wolf connected on a step-back triple to extend the Wolverines’ lead to 35-28.

Purdue finished the half on an 8-2 spurt, but Michigan took a 40-36 lead into halftime. It was a very competitive opening half, as both teams grabbed 20 rebounds and scored 16 points in the paint, while committing just three turnovers each.

SECOND HALF

The Wolverines came out aggressive to start the second half as Goldin blocked a dunk attempt and scored four points in the first four minutes, highlighted by a one-handed dunk from Wolf . Michigan led 52-45 with just under 15 minutes left.

Donaldson continued to break out of his recent slump , hitting a three-pointer and scoring back to back buckets in the paint to push the Wolverines’ lead to double digits. Just moments later, Gayle Jr. finished a layup to force Purdue to call timeout.

Michigan was held scoreless for more than three minutes as Purdue trimmed the deficit to 10 points but Gayle Jr. came up with a huge bucket to beat the shot clock buzzer. Instead of being a turnover, the Wolverines extended the lead to 68-56.

With less than five minutes remaining, Michigan put the finishing touches on an impressive win as Gayle Jr. threw down a dunk and Wolf connected on a three-pointer. The Wolverines eventually ran out the clock on the way to securing an 86-68 win.

UP NEXT

Michigan will move onto the Big Ten Tournament semifinals for the first time in four years and is set to face the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on CBS. The Wolverines could clinch a spot in the championship for the first time since 2019.