Michigan
15-0; 4-0
Indiana
12-3; 3-1
Wolverines Remain Undefeated After Wire-to-Wire Win Over No. 21 Hoosiers
1/6/2019 8:20:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» Michigan improved to 15-0 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten after defeating Indiana, 74-63, at Crisler Center.
» Four Wolverines reached double-digit scoring, led by Charles Matthews and Jordan Poole with 18 points each.
» Freshman Brandon Johns Jr. scored a career-best eight points and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds in 13 minutes.
» The Wolverines will travel to Illinois to take on the Illini in Champaign on Thursday (Jan. 10).
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: #2/4 Michigan 74, #21/22 Indiana 63
Records: U-M (15-0, 4-0 Big Ten), Indiana (12-3, 3-1 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Thursday, Jan. 10 -- at Illinois (Champaign, Ill.), 7 p.m. CST (TV: FS1)
• Watch: Highlights | Coach Beilein Postgame Press Conference
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team led wire-to-wire, en route to a 74-63 victory over No. 21 Indiana on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 6) at Crisler Center. With the win, the Wolverines extended their record to 15-0 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten, and are among three undefeated teams in college basketball.
The Wolverines were paced by Jordan Poole and Charles Matthews, who finished with 18 points each. Zavier Simpson and Ignas Brazdeikis added 12 and 10 points, respectively. Freshman Brandon Johns Jr. saw his first extended playing time of the season, finishing with a career-high eight points and eight rebounds in 13 minutes on the floor.
As a team, the Wolverines committed just three turnovers, while forcing Indiana into seven miscues and earning four steals and three blocks.
Michigan and Indiana traded buckets early, but the Wolverines held a slight 6-4 lead after the first two and a half minutes. A dunk plus a foul by Matthews spurred the first half offensive run by Michigan, as it extended the lead to 11-6 with 16:01 remaining. Indiana responded with a three-pointer at the other end to cut the lead to two.
The Wolverines got a step-back three by Poole, followed by a steal and fast-break layup by Matthews and layup from Austin Davis to cap off a 10-0 scoring run in under two minutes.
Michigan's defense was stifling in the first half, forcing five turnovers which led to a 7-0 advantage in fast break points and an 11-2 lead in points off turnovers.
Matthews' third steal and fast-break bucket of the half put the Wolverines up, 23-9, with 13:03 remaining. He finished the half with a team-high 16 points. Poole also added 12 points and four boards, while dishing out two assists.
A contested layup by Johns made the score 32-13, and gave the Maize and Blue its biggest lead of the half. Despite an 11-6 run from Indiana, the Wolverines closed out of the half with a 44-29 lead. Michigan's 44-point half was its highest total of any half this season.
Indiana got the second half started by being aggressive driving the ball, leading to three quick Michigan fouls in the first three minutes of the half. Despite the strategy, the Hoosiers were barely able to cut into the lead, and Michigan led, 53-39, with 15:46 remaining.
A three-pointer from Devonte Green capped off a seven-point spurt by the Hoosiers to cut the lead to single digits for the first time since the 14:44 mark of the first half. A putback dunk by Johns followed by an Indiana layup made it a 57-48 at the under-12:00 media timeout.
A layup by Simpson, then a dish to Matthews for another bucket gave the Wolverines a double-digit lead back, 61-50, with 9:55 to go in the game.
Second-half foul trouble plagued the Wolverine big men, with three fouls on Jon Teske and two on Davis, leading to a career-high 13 minutes for Johns.
A dunk from Johns extended Michigan's lead to 66-52 with 6:29 remaining. Justin Smith's putback layup with 5:22 to go ended a Hoosier field-goal drought of more than five minutes, and Michigan led, 68-56.
Brazdeikis hit two free throws to give the Wolverines four double-digit scorers and a 70-58 lead with three minutes left.
The Wolverines will be back in action on Thursday (Jan. 10), when they travel to Champaign, Illinois, to take on the Fighting Illini. Opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST, and the game will be broadcast on FS1.
