Michigan
5-16 (1-8)
Minnesota
13-6 (3-4)
Minnesota Uses Balance to Defeat Wolverines in Crisler
1/31/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Arena)
Score: Michigan 65, Minnesota 77
Records: U-M (5-16, 1-8 Big Ten), Minnesota (13-6, 3-4 Big Ten)
Attendance: 8,645
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, Feb. 5 -- at Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio), 7 p.m.
• Boxscore | Notes & Quotes | Photo Gallery
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan's men's basketball program celebrated the 40th anniversary of "The House That Cazzie Built" Thursday (Jan. 31), but Michigan fell to a well-balanced Minnesota squad, 77-65, in Crisler Arena. Facing a veteran and experienced Gopher team, the Wolverines fell victim to Minnesota's inside/outside game. The Gophers closed the game shooting a red-hot 59 percent from the field, while the Maize and Blue shot just 36 percent.
Manny Harris
Senior Ron Coleman (Romulus, Mich./Romulus HS) stepped off the bench to tie his season high with 14 points, with Coleman also posting two rebounds and an assist in 27 minutes. Freshman Manny Harris (Detroit, Mich./Redford HS) added 19 to lead the team in scoring for the 12th time this season, adding three rebounds, two assists and three steals. Sophomore Ekpe Udoh (Edmond, Okla./Santa Fe HS) tallied three blocks, seven rebounds and three points.
The Wolverines got off to a slow start, allowing the Gophers to take control of the game early with a 9-2 run. Sophomore DeShawn Sims (Detroit, Mich./Pershing HS), who finished with eight points and two blocks, began the scoring for Michigan with an inside move. Coleman's first bucket of the game set the score at 11-4, and another Sims score and a Harris breakaway dunk kept Wolverines could only keep U-M within eight points of the Gophers. The teams exchanged baskets as Minnesota sustained their lead, but three Michigan buckets, including back-to-back treys by Coleman, narrowed the Gopher lead to 24-19. Coleman led the Wolverines in the first half, shooting 4-of-5 from the field -- including 2-of-2 beyond the arc -- to net 10 points. The Wolverines finished the first stanza in strong fashion, starting with a tip-in by Udoh followed by four points from Harris, including a lay-up with six seconds left in the half, to send the teams into the locker rooms with a 34-26 Minnesota advantage.
An 18-6 run by the Gophers to start the second half built a 20-point lead that the Wolverines could not overcome. The Gophers were led by Lawrence McKenzie, who recorded 19 points for the game -- all in the second half. Coleman relieved the streak with a lay-up at 11:38 to set the score at 52-34. Later in the half, a Harris dunk, a three-pointer by sophomore/freshman Anthony Wright (Sterling, Va./Oak Hill Academy) and a junior Jevohn Shepherd (Toronto, Ontario/West Hills Collegiate) basket and free throws sparked an 11-0 Michigan run, helping the Wolverines fight to within 10 points with less than a minute to play. The Gophers held on strong with their inside/outside shooting to clinch the victory, closing with the 12-point road win, 77-65.
The Wolverines have the weekend off with the conference bye game. The Maize and Blue will return to the hardwood, as U-M travels down to Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday (Feb. 5) for a conference battle against Ohio State in Value City Arena. Tipoff against the Buckeyes is scheduled for 7 p.m., with the game televised on ESPN.
