Michigan
15-5, 5-2
Nebraska
12-9, 4-4
U-M Dispatches of Nebraska Behind Walton's Double-Double
1/23/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 23, 2016
» Derrick Walton Jr. (19 points and 12 rebounds) finished with a double-double.
» Michigan held a 32-24 advantage on the glass and an 18-11 edge in assists.
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Site: Lincoln, Neb. (Pinnacle Bank Arena)
Score: Michigan 81, Nebraska 68
Records: U-M (15-5, 5-2 Big Ten), NEB (12-9, 4-4 Big Ten)
Attendance: 15,745
Next U-M Event: Wednesday, Jan. 27-- vs. Rutgers (Crisler Center), 7 p.m. [ TV: ESPN2 ]
LINCOLN, Neb. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team stormed out of the gates strong in the second half to earn an 81-68 win on Saturday (Jan. 23) at Nebraska inside Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Wolverines led by just three points going into the half, but a 14-6 scoring run to open the second helped propel Michigan to an 18-point lead. The Cornhuskers got back within single digits on multiple occasions, but the Wolverines held strong to finish with a double-digit victory.
Junior/sophomore guard Duncan Robinson led all scorers with 21 points on 6-of-12 shooting, and junior guard Derrick Walton Jr. controlled the game with 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. Junior forward Mark Donnal added 14 points and four rebounds.
The Maize and Blue finished the game strong, shooting 25-of-47 (53.2 percent) from the floor and 11-of-21 (52.4 percent) from beyond the arc. The Cornhuskers struggled all afternoon from three-point range, shooting just 6-of-22 (27.3 percent) from deep.
The Wolverines started out hot from three-point range for the second game in a row. After the teams traded buckets in the opening minutes, Robinson made his first long ball from the wing to make it 9-4 at the 16:30 mark. Sophomore guard Aubrey Dawkins knocked down a three-pointer on the next possession, and Robinson immediately followed with another to make it 15-6. Walton added a three of his own a minute later to give Michigan an 18-6 advantage, forcing Nebraska into a timeout with 15:05 to play in the half.
The Cornhuskers cut the deficit back to six, but sophomore forward Ricky Doyle powered his way inside to score off the glass, and junior guard Zak Irvin splashed a three-pointer from the corner to stretch the margin back to 11, 24-13. Nebraska continued to fight back down the stretch, however. A 7-1 mini run made it a four-point game, 27-23, with 3:51 remaining.
A pair of free throws from Walton ended the run, and freshman guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman connected on a three-pointer to give the Wolverines breathing room. Donnal added a free throw to make it a six-point game with a minute to play, but Glynn Watson Jr. beat the buzzer with a three-pointer to make it 33-30 heading into the break.
Michigan shot well from behind the arc in the first half, connecting on 6-of-11 (54.6 percent) from deep. Eight different Wolverines got on the score sheet, with assists on eight of their 10 made baskets. The Cornhuskers were held to just 2-of-12 (16.7 percent) shooting from three-point range.
Michigan made its first nine shots to start the second half, exploding out to a 14-6 scoring run. Robinson got the scoring barrage started with a smooth triple from the baseline on his first touch, and Abdur-Rahkman powered his way to the rim for a layup to make it 38-30. Irvin started to get into a rhythm, splashing a mid-range jumper and a long three-pointer on consecutive possessions. Freshman forward Moritz Wagner capped the run with a strong post move inside, giving the Wolverines a 54-36 lead at the 13:30 mark.
Nebraska used a full-court press and an 11-5 scoring run to cut the score to 64-59 with 6:37 left in the game. Sophomore guard Aubrey Dawkins answered for Michigan to stop the run, nailing a turn-around jumper to beat the shot clock, and stretch the margin back to seven.
The Cornhuskers got back within four again, 68-64, with a little less than three minutes to play, but Abdur-Rahkman found Robinson with a pinpoint backdoor bounce pass for a baseline dunk that put the Wolverines back up six with 2:04 remaining. As time ticked down, Nebraska was forced to foul, and Michigan hit all its free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
U-M is back in action on Wednesday (Jan. 23), returning to the Crisler Center for a contest with Rutgers. Tune in to Big Ten Network at 7 p.m. to catch all the action. [ Tickets ]
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Communications Contact: Tom Wywrot
