Michigan
9-21 (5-13)
Purdue
24-7 (15-3)
Wolverines Fall on Senior Night to No. 15 Purdue
3/9/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Arena)
Score: 15/15 Purdue 72, Michigan 58
Attendance: 12,047
Records: U-M (9-21, 5-13 Big Ten), Purdue (24-7, 15-3 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Thursday, March 13 -- vs. Iowa at Big Ten Tournament (Indianapolis, Ind.), Noon
Boxscore | Notes & Quotes | Photo Gallery
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team dropped a 72-58 decision to Purdue Saturday (March 9) on Senior Day in Crisler Arena. Leading for the majority of the contest, the Wolverines claimed a 50-46 advantage midway through the second half, but three treys by Purdue guard Keaton Grant ignited a 26-8 Boilermaker run to close the game.
Sophomore DeShawn Sims(Detroit, Mich./Pershing HS) scored a game-high 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field, in addition to collecting six rebounds. Sophomore Ekpe Udoh(Edmond, Okla./Santa Fe HS) added 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting and nine rebounds, after collecting 10 points and eight rebounds during a monster first half. He finished the game with three blocks. Freshman Manny Harris(Detroit, Mich./Redford HS) finished with 10 points -- eight of which came in the second half. Senior Ron Coleman(Romulus, Mich./Romulus HS) ended his career at Crisler Arena netting a three-pointer, while pulling down six rebounds in 20 minutes of action.
Trailing 29-28 with 0:36 remaining in the half, sophomore/freshman Anthony Wright(Sterling, Va./Oak Hill Academy) connected on a long-range three-pointer from the wing to give the Wolverines the 31-29 halftime lead. In a highly-contested first half, which featured four lead changes and three ties, neither team could establish a lead greater than six points. Michigan held a lead throughout much of the early going, eventually taking an 18-16 advantage at 7:53 on a lay-up by junior Jevohn Shepherd(Toronto, Ontario, Canada/West Hills Collegiate). The Wolverines, however, could not sustain the momentum as Purdue eventually gained a 29-25 lead in the midst of a three minute U-M scoring drought. Michigan rebounded with a 6-0 run to end the half, which included the trey by Wright.
Sims fueled the Michigan offense after the intermission, tallying 10 of Michigan's first 13 points to bring the two teams to a stalemate, 45-45, at 10:55. The remaining three points occurred as Udoh showed his range, knocking down the sixth three-pointer of his career. Harris gave the Wolverines a 50-46 advantage after converting a long-range attempt of his own, ending a personal scoring drought that lasted longer than 17 minutes. Purdue answered with a 10-0 run, which included a pair of three-pointers, to overcome the four-point deficit, pushing the score to the Boilermakers' favor, 56-50. Purdue held onto the lead for the remainder of the contest as the Boilermakers added two more three-pointers down the stretch to seal a 72-58 victory.
With the Big Ten regular season now completed, the Maize and Blue will turn its attention to the postseason and the 2008 Big Ten Tournament. The Wolverines will face Iowa on Thursday, March 13 in the 8/9 game at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. Tipoff is scheduled for a noon start and will be televised on Big Ten Network.
Michigan and Iowa split the season series, with each team winning on the road. The Hawkeyes won 68-60 at Crisler Arena (Jan. 19), before the Wolverines got payback with a 60-52 comeback win at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Feb. 14). If the Wolverines advance past the Hawkeyes, U-M would face No. 1 seed Wisconsin on Friday (March 14) at noon on ESPN.
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
