Michigan
6-4
Arizona
10-0
Michigan Dealt Defeat at No. 3 Arizona
12/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 13, 2014
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Site: Tucson, Ariz. (McKale Center)
Score: #3 Arizona 80, Michigan 53
Records: U-M (6-4), Arizona (10-0)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Dec. 20 -- vs. SMU (Crisler Center), Noon [ TV: ESPN ]
TUCSON, Ariz. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team could not slow down Arizona (No. 3 AP, No. 3 ESPN/USA Today) and its high-powered offense, and fell, 80-53, on Saturday evening (Dec. 13) inside the McKale Center. The Wildcats shot 32-of-55 (58.2 percent) from the floor on the night, and outscored the Wolverines, 42-16, in the paint.
Sophomore Zak Irvin was Michigan's only double-digit scorer, with 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting. His classmate Derrick Walton Jr. finished with seven points and five assists, and junior Caris LeVert posted eight points. Freshmen Ricky Doyle and Kameron Chatman scored eight points apiece for the Wolverines.
The Wildcats took an early 6-3 lead, and Chatman knocked down a triple to tie the game just three minutes in. Up 11-9, Arizona went on a 9-0 that included five points from Stanley Johnson and four from Kaleb Tarczewski. Michigan responded with a basket by Walton and a three from LeVert to cut the deficit to 20-14 midway through the first half.
Two free throws by LeVert cut Arizona's lead to 22-16 with eight minutes left before halftime, but the Wildcats answered with an 11-1 run over the next five minutes to take a 33-17 lead. Junior Spike Albrecht nailed a triple to end the run with three minutes to play before the break, and Arizona took a 36-25 lead heading into the intermission.
Michigan shot 7-of-22 (31.8 percent) in the first half and knocked down 4-of-12 attempts (33.3 percent) from three. The Wildcats went 15-of-24 (62.5 percent) from the floor before halftime and made 2-of-8 (25 percent) from long distance. Arizona outscored the Wolverines in the paint, 20-4, in the first period.
Arizona opened the second half by scoring 12 unanswered points, before Irvin drained a jumper with 14:37 left in the game that made the score 48-27. The Wildcats extended their lead to 60-33 after a dunk by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, but U-M countered with an Irvin three and a Doyle jumper with 10 minutes remaining in the game. However, the Wildcats outscored the Wolverines, 20-15, in the final 10 minutes of the game.
Johnson led Arizona with 17 points (8-of-10 shooting) and seven rebounds, and Tarczewski finished with 15 points and seven boards. The Wildcats outrebounded Michigan by a 40-26 margin and led for 39 of the game's 40 minutes. U-M shot 19-of-54 (35.2 percent) for the game, and made 7-of-26 attempts (26.9 percent) from beyond the arc.
The Maize and Blue returns to Ann Arbor to play SMU on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 20) inside Crisler Center. Tipoff is scheduled for noon, and the game will be televised on ESPN2. [ Tickets ]
Communications Contact: Tom Wywrot, Chad Shepard (734) 763-4423
