For a minute, it appeared that Michigan very well could lose to UCF in its fourth game of the season.
For a minute.
With the Knights jumping out to a 12-point lead in the first half, nothing seemed to be going right for the maize and blue. But then, something happened. Everything started looking sharper. The Wolverines stopped seeking out low percentage shots and started taking what the mix of man-to-man and 2-3 zone coverage was giving it, and started taking control. The defense started clamping down and Michigan fully asserted itself against a team that had previously taken down Auburn in its only game of the season, winning 80-58.
It was an even bigger lead, as big as 32 points, but the Wolverines inserted their reserves late, and that group didn’t score until seconds left in the game, when Adrien Nunez managed a layup.
Here are our five takeaways from Michigan basketball’s fourth win of the young season.