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Coming off their second loss of the year at Illinois, Michigan had no time to lick its wounds with No. 10 Oregon coming to the Crisler Center on Saturday.
The nonconference showdown with the Ducks (7-2) provided an excellent opportunity for the No. 5 Wolverines (8-2, 1-1 Big Ten) to bounce back from their first conference loss of the season.
Michigan got off to an extremely slow start, scoring just 9 points in the first 12 minutes. Oregon built as lead as high as 16 points, before the Wolverines closed to within 31-23 by halftime.
In the second half, Michigan came out firing on all cylinders to come all the way back to take a lead late in the second half. Oregon punched back, and the two teams traded blows on their way to a 63-63 tie to end regulation.
Overtime proved to be a dogfight as well, but in the end, the Ducks delivered the last punch as they outlasted the Wolverines by a final score of 71-70.
1. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
The Wolverines were nowhere to be found when this one got underway. Michigan opened the game 3-of-17 from the floor (including three missed dunks) and 1-of-8 from the three-point line in the first 12 minutes. The Wolverines finished the half shooting just 24 percent overall. In the second half, however, Michigan caught fire, making 10 of their first 15 attempts from the floor and 5-of-6 from three-point range. As a whole in the second half and overtime, the Wolverines went 18-of-32 from the floor and 6-of-8 from deep to improve their total shooting percentage to 41 percent. Still, scoring lulls like we saw in the first half are concerning. That was something that plagued the team last season as well, and it cost them on Saturday.
2. DEJULIUS CARRIES THE FIRST HALF
The Wolverines desperately needed a spark offensively in the first half, and they got one off the bench in the form of sophomore David DeJulius. The second-year guard scored 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-5 from three-point range in the first 20 minutes. DeJulius carried Michigan into the locker room, and though he didn’t have the same impact in the second half — finishing with 14 points — he gave the Wolverines a chance to get back in the game.
3. FRANZ WAGNER. EARLY STRUGGLES, BIG TIME RESPONSE
It was another youngster lifted Michigan in the second half, as true freshman Franz Wagner came to like to score 18 of his 21 total points in the first half and overtime. He was Like the team as a whole, Wagner struggled to find his way in the first half, but he hit big shot after big shot in the second half. The freshman has had an up-and-down experience in Ann Arbor thus far, as he continues work his way back to full speed following a wrist fracture before the season. But he came up big in this game. Fans should be patient with some of his “freshman mistakes” this season, because the talent here is clear and obvious.
4. TESKE, SIMPSON WERE DISAPPOINTING
Earlier this week, head coach Juwan Howard named Jon Teske and Zavier Simpson as the team’s captains. The pair had a rough first outting with their new titles. Teske was a complete non-factor, finishing with only 4 points and 4 rebounds in 24 minutes of play. He was replaced by Brandon Johns Jr. ( 8 points, 9 rebounds) in the second half and overtime. Simpson did have 11 assists, that should be highlighted, but the senior had 4 turnovers, struggled with his on-ball defense (which is supposed to be his specialty), and was just 3-of-11 from the floor. The senior’s on-ball defense looked subpar against Illinois as well, and that is a major concern moving forward.
5. Wolverines are IN A SLUMP
After opening the season 7-0 and surging to a Top 5 ranking, Michigan has now lost three of it’s last four games. Two of those came against Top 10 opponents, and losses on the road in the Big Ten are going to happen, but this was an opportunity that the Wolverines let get away. A win over a ranked Oregon squad after the loss at Illinois would have righted the ship, but instead it’s likely Michigan will take a steep fall in the rankings. The Wolverines have a week off before beginning the road back next Saturday against Presbyterian.