Michigan
1-0
South Carolina Upstate
0-1
Michigan Stifles South Carolina Upstate in Season Opener
11/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 13, 2010
• Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery 
• Audio: Head Coach John Beilein 
• Video: Sophomore Guard Darius Morris 
| Freshman Guard Tim Hardaway Jr. | Highlights
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Arena)
Score: Michigan 66, South Carolina Upstate 35
Records: U-M (1-0), USC-Upstate (0-1)
Next U-M Event: Thursday, Nov. 18 -- vs. Bowling Green (Crisler Arena), 7 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Tipping off the regular season, the University of Michigan men's basketball team dominated South Carolina Upstate, 66-35, Saturday night (Nov. 13) inside Crisler Arena. Freshman guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (Miami, Fla./Palmetto Senior) led all scorers with 19 points, while sophomore guard Darius Morris (Los Angeles, Calif./Windward) added 17 points and a team-high four assists.
Michigan finished 22-of-50 (44 percent) from the floor and 15-of-21 (71 percent) from the free-throw line while outrebounding South Carolina Upstate by 13 (45-32). The Wolverines were in total control from the opening tip, leading by as many as 34 in the contest.
In his first career game, Hardaway Jr. led the way with 13 first-half points, including three triples, one of which came on the Wolverines' opening possession of the game. With 11:54 to play, freshman forward Colton Christian (Bellevue, Wash./Hargrave Military Academy [Va.]) grabbed defensive rebounds on consecutive plays and Morris turned them into back-to-back field goals at the other end to give U-M a quick 21-5 lead.
The Wolverines capitalized on shooting struggles by the Spartans, who had only two field goals through the first 10 minutes of play. Three-pointers from sophomore guard Matt Vogrich (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) and junior guards Zack Novak (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) and Stu Douglass (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) followed to send Michigan into the locker room with a 36-18 lead. For the half, Michigan shot 48 percent from the field (12-of-25) and 46 percent from behind the arc (6-of-13).
The Maize and Blue continued to dominate in the second half, holding USC-Upstate to just 17 points. At the 16:13 mark, Hardaway Jr.'s fastbreak dunk brought the Michigan fans in attendance to their feet, marking the first of four dunks for the Wolverines in the half. Freshman forward Evan Smotrycz (Reading, Mass./New Hampton Prep [N.H.]), Novak and Morris delivered the others on three straight possessions.
Michigan returns to action next Thursday night (Nov. 18) when it hosts Bowling Green in the first game of the Legends Classic Regional Round. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. and the game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
