Tre Donaldson knocks down go-ahead shot to propel Michigan past Penn State in final seconds

Michigan trailed Penn State, 72-67, in the final minutes until Tre Donaldson sparked a 9-0 run, highlighted by a go-ahead shot to seal a last-second win. Donaldson finished with a game-high 21 points to help the Wolverines stay unbeaten at home:

Michigan Wolverines point guard Tre Donaldson came up clutch on Monday, hitting a game-winning three-pointer to propel his squad past the Penn State Nittany Lions, 76-72, at the Crisler Center. Michigan is now 15-5 overall and remaining undefeated at home with a perfect 10-0 record.

Michigan trailed 72-67 with less than two minutes to go before Donaldson fueled a 9-0 run — and a personal 7-0 run for himself — to seal a much-needed bounce back win following a brutal loss at Purdue last Friday. Donaldson finished with a game-high 21 points and seven assists.

Michigan committed just nine turnovers while finishing with 30 points in the paint and 21 bench points. Danny Wolf posted 11 points and nine rebounds, and Nimari Burnett added 10 points, four assists and three rebounds.

FIRST HALF

The Wolverines got off to a quality start, taking a 12-7 lead into the first media timeout as four different players scored in the opening minutes. Burnett found Roddy Gayle Jr. for consecutive layups to help jump out to an early advantage.

Penn State quickly cut into the deficit after the timeout, but the Wolverines immediately answered as Donaldson drilled a step-back three-pointer , followed by Vlad Goldin connecting with Burnett for a fast-break dunk to extend the lead to 17-11.

Burnett continued his productive first half by knocking down a triple from the corner to put an end to Penn State’s 6-0 run. It appeared the Wolverines might be able to create some separation, but the offense fell flat as the first half continued.

Michigan started 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, then the offense hit a dry spell, missing six straight shots from three-point range. The Wolverines’ offensive woes allowed Penn State to hang around, going to halftime with the game tied at 35.

Penn State dominated the glass in the first half, compiling a 20-9 rebounding edge to go with 10 second-chance points. Michigan struggled to find a rhythm on offense, so Penn State stayed within striking distance.

SECOND HALF

The Nittany Lions grabbed a 37-35 lead to open the second half, but the Wolverines put together a 10-0 run to regain momentum as Donaldson connected on a three-pointer and finished a put-back layup on two straight possessions.

Coming out of the under-16 timeout, Burnett hit a deep three-pointer from the wing to extend the lead to 52-44. Michigan pushed the lead to 55-47 as Rubin Jones knocked down a three-pointer following three straight offensive rebounds.

Penn State refused to go down quietly, though, as Ace Baldwin Jr. fueled a 5-0 run to trim the deficit to just three points. The Wolverines responded on the other end with Gayle finding Sam Walters for a critical three-pointer to take a 64-57 lead.

Michigan was seemingly in control for a majority of the second half until Penn State fought back and eventually forged ahead with less than five minutes left. Zach Hicks and Freddie Dilione V made two consecutive three-pointers to go up 72-67.

The Wolverines looked dead in the water trailing by five points in the final minutes, but Donaldson sparked a 9-0 run to end the game and seal a nail-biting 76-72 win. Donaldson drilled a go-ahead triple to put Michigan up with 24 seconds left.

UP NEXT

Michigan will head to the East Coast to face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on FOX, before returning home to host the Oregon Ducks on Feb. 5 at 6:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

Rutgers entered the season with lofty expectations, led by five-star freshman duo Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey but it’s been a disappointing year to say the least. The Scarlet Knights are 10-10 overall and 3-6 in Big Ten play, sitting at 82nd on KenPom.