Michigan
Indiana
U-M Downs Hoosiers, Breaks into Big Ten Win Column
1/9/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team defeated Indiana 70-64 on Tuesday (Jan. 9) in its Big Ten Conference home opener. LaVell Blanchard (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) led the way for the Wolverines with 21 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals.
The Wolverines (7-6, 1-1 Big Ten) shot 47.1 percent for the game, and the defense stepped up to make Indiana (10-7, 1-2 Big Ten) take tough shots, limiting them to a 35.6 shooting percentage. Josh Asselin (Caro, Mich./Caro HS) had 14 points, five boards and three blocks, and Bernard Robinson Jr. (Washington D.C./New Hampton Prep [N.H.]) added 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Michigan came out shooting the ball well from the floor to start the game. Asselin scored the first four points for the Wolverines, starting the game off with a two-handed jam off a feed from Blanchard, then hitting a 10-foot jumper from the free throw line extended on an assist from Robinson Jr. Blanchard then extended the lead with back-to-back triples from the corner on a 7-1 U-M run, making it a 12-5 game at the 14:58 mark.
Asselin continued his sharp-shooting, connecting on a turn-around on the baseline, but then had to take a seat after picking up two early fouls. Josh Moore (Newark, N.J./St. Thomas More Prep [Conn.]) got into the act a few minutes later, spinning on the baseline and throwing down a powerful one-handed rim shaker, giving the Wolverines an 18-9 lead. The dunks continued for the Maize and Blue with Blanchard's second two-handed slam, on a nice pass from Moore on the inside with 9:10 remaining.
Indiana crept closer in the game with a string a three-pointers and transition baskets. The Hoosiers went on a 5-0 run before Moore banked in a six-foot jumper inside the paint. IU then went on an 8-0 run to take the lead, only to have the Wolverines storm right back on a 7-0 run of their own to regain the lead, and U-M went into halftime up 33-32. Blanchard led the way with 14 first-half points, as Michigan shot 50 percent from the floor (12-24) and limited the Hoosiers to 37 percent shooting (11-30) for the first 20 minutes of action.
The Hoosiers briefly took the lead coming out of the locker room, but Chris Young (Plymouth, Mich./Detroit Catholic Central HS) changed that with Michigan's first deuce of the second half. Robinson Jr. then intercepted a pass at midcourt and went in for an uncontested breakaway. Asselin gave U-M a four-point lead with 15:53 on the clock, finishing a three-point play from the free throw line.
Young showed some versatility, hitting on a 10-foot jump shot off the baseline, while Blanchard finished off another three-point play on Michigan's next trip down the court, making it a 49-44 game. Moore continued to end Indiana runs, as he buried a baby hook to end a mini 4-0 IU run.
Holding on to a one-point lead, Robinson Jr. gave the Wolverines a little more breathing room, adding a tip-in off an offensive rebound. After swapping free-throw opportunities, Asselin knocked down a tough shot inside, making it a 61-55 game with 5:07 to play and forcing the Hoosiers to take a timeout.
With 3:26 left in the game, Asselin powered his way up for the bucket and hit the free throw for another three-point play and a 66-57 lead. The Hoosiers responded with a 5-0 run to cut the lead to four, but Leon Jones (Battle Creek, Mich./Winchendon Prep [Conn.]) hit a crucial layup with 30.1 seconds left in the game to ice the victory. A few free throws later, Michigan had its first Big Ten victory of the 2000-01 season.
Up next for the Wolverines is a matchup at No. 7-ranked Illinois on Saturday (Jan. 13), with tipoff at 7 p.m. CST.
N O T E S
-- LaVell Blanchard's 21 points marked the fifth time this season -- and 12th time in his career -- he has scored 20-plus points.
-- Josh Asselin's three blocks moves him into fifth place on the U-M all-time list (113), surpassing Terry Mills (111).
-- Bernard Robinson Jr. had a career high with nine rebounds.
-- Avery Queen (Moreno Valley, Calif./Redemption Christian Academy [N.Y.]) tied a career high in steals with two. Queen registered two steals in the first three games of the season.
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
