Michigan men’s basketball tied its single-game record for made three-pointers in a blowout win over Western Kentucky on Sunday night:
The Michigan Wolverines used a historic shooting performance, tying the program-record with 19 made three-pointers and setting a season-high in points to defeat the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, 112-64, in the non-conference finale.
Michigan was fueled by six double-digit scorers, as center Vlad Goldin and guard Nimari Burnett each scored 17 points, while backcourt mates Tre Donaldson and Roddy Gayle Jr. combined for 23 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in the win.
Dusty May’s team put up 59 points and knocked down 11 three-pointers in the first half, both of which were the most in a half this season. Michigan moved to 10-3 with the win and will resume Big Ten play with a ton of momentum next weekend.
Closing out 2024 with a dominant victory!
Burnett: 17p | 5r | 5-7 3FG
Goldin: 17p | 5r | 7-8 FG
Walters: 13p | 4r | 4-8 FG#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/I41TCu9n1B— Michigan Men’s Basketball (@umichbball) December 30, 2024
FIRST HALF
Michigan didn’t waste much time building a double-digit lead, connecting on four three-pointers in the first four minutes. That was highlighted by Gayle dropping his defender with a step-back and drilling a triple to force Western Kentucky to call timeout.
The Hilltoppers put together a run to trim Michigan’s lead from 16-3 to 18-14, but the Wolverines responded with a 21-6 spurt that included three-pointers from Burnett and Donaldson, along with a beautiful alley-oop from Gayle to Goldin .
In addition to defending at a high level in the opening half, Michigan absolutely shot the lights out from beyond the arc. The Wolverines made an astounding 11-of-21 m three-pointers en route to building a 59-31 lead heading into halftime.
SECOND HALF
Michigan continued to push the pace in the early stages of the second half as Goldin scored six points before the first media timeout, followed by Burnett hitting back to back three-pointers to help push the Wolverines’ advantage to 81-44.
It was a perfect way for the Wolverines to close out the calendar year, putting together a complete performance with a season-high 112 points. Michigan finished 19-of-40 from three-point range to go with a dominant 54-27 rebounding edge.
UP NEXT
The Wolverines will get nearly a week off before facing the USC Trojans on Saturday. Michigan opened Big Ten play with wins over Wisconsin and Iowa, and will travel to Los Angeles with an opportunity to stay unbeaten in conference.
USC currently sits at 9-4 and is the 82nd ranked team in the nation, according to KenPom. The Trojans could present problems for the Wolverines’ defense, led by guard Desmond Claude and former Michigan forward Terrance Williams II.
Following the matchup with USC, the Wolverines will remain on the West Coast to face the UCLA Bruins on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The next home game for Michigan will take place against Big Ten newcomer the Washington Huskies on Sunday, Jan. 12.