Wolverines Fall to Western Michigan in Home Opener

Saturday, November 30

Ann Arbor, Mich.

2:00 PM

Michigan

Western Michigan

11/30/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team dropped its home opener for the first time since the 1998-99 season, losing 56-52 to Western Michigan University Saturday afternoon (Nov. 30) at Crisler Arena. Michigan had difficulties finding its shooting touch all day, sinking just 19 of 52 field goals and hitting only two of 13 from behind the three-point line.

Blanchard's season-high 12 rebounds led all players.

Down by seven with under a minute to go, U-M fought back as freshman guard Daniel Horton (Cedar Hill, Texas/Cedar Hill HS) hit a runner in the lane to make the score 52-47. After a turnover on the inbounds pass, Michigan got the ball back and sophomore forward Chuck Bailey (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King HS) narrowed the gap to three points after a quick shot inside. Horton earned another two points off of a layup and Michigan got a quick foul to stop the clock. The play resulted in two missed free throws and a chance for Michigan to tie or win the contest.

As time ran down, senior wing LaVell Blanchard (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) found himself all alone in the corner and put up a three-pointer to win the game. The shot rattled off the rim and was rebounded by WMU's Robby Collum, who was fouled with less than one second left. He sealed the game by knocking down two free throws.

Blanchard finished the game with his 22nd career double-double, totaling 14 points and 12 rebounds. Horton added 11 points and five boards while Bernard Robinson Jr. (Washington, D.C./New Hampton Prep, N.H.) chipped in 10 points and six rebounds for Michigan.

The Wolverines scored the first points of the game as freshman forward Chris Hunter (Gary, Ind./West Side HS) converted on two free throws after being fouled on a putback in the lane. After a Western Michigan steal and layup, Horton connected on U-M's first field goal to give Michigan the early advantage. The Broncos added five quick points before Blanchard scored a bucket inside to cut the deficit to 7-6. Blanchard paced the Wolverines early on, collecting four points and four rebounds in the first five minutes of the game.

Both teams went cold from the field for the next few minutes before freshman wing Lester Abram (Pontiac, Mich./Northern HS) ended a three-minute scoring drought with a breakaway dunk at 9:26 left in the first half. The Wolverine defense held Western Michigan scoreless for nearly six minutes before the Broncos hit a three-pointer to take a 14-12 lead with about eight minutes to go. Michigan's offense then put together a 7-0 run that was highlighted by four points from Blanchard to give U-M a 19-16 edge.

After Michigan extended its lead to a game-high four points, the Broncos scored seven of the final nine points of the half to take a 25-24 advantage into the locker room.

Blanchard led the Michigan charge with eight points and eight rebounds in the first half. Collum led WMU with seven points and three steals. Both teams shot poorly from the field as Michigan connected on just seven of 23 field goal attempts and Western Michigan made 10 of 35. U-M also struggled from behind the arc, missing on all six of its first-half thee-point attempts.

The second half began with both teams exchanging baskets as Western Michigan sustained a six-point lead. Michigan finally broke out of its shooting slump when Blanchard hit the team's first three-point field goal of the game at 13:59 to cut the Broncos' lead to 36-33. Horton connected on another trey three minutes later and freshman center Graham Brown (Mio, Mich./Mio-AuSable HS) had a key layup to keep the Wolverines within reach.

The Wolverines will next face Central Michigan University on Tuesday (Dec. 3) at 7 p.m. in Crisler Arena.

Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423