Michigan
2-0,0-0Big Ten
Creighton
1-1,0-0Big East
Livers' Career Night Leads Michigan Past Creighton
11/12/2019 10:14:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» Isaiah Livers scored a career-high 22 points.
» Jon Teske and Zavier Simpson added 17 points apiece.
» Michigan blocked six shots.
» The Wolverines will be back in action Friday (Nov. 15) against Elon at 7 p.m. at Crisler Center
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: Michigan 79, Creighton 69
Records: U-M (2-0), Creighton (1-1)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Nov. 15 -- vs. Elon (Crisler Center), 7 p.m.
• Watch: Coach Howard Postgame Press Conference | Highlights
• Kornacki: Howard on Simpson - "He's Our Tom Brady'
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Behind a career-high 22 points from junior Isaiah Livers, the University of Michigan men's basketball team defeated Creighton, 79-69, on Tuesday night (Nov. 12) at Crisler Center.
Livers added four rebounds and two blocks, while seniors Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske notched 17 points each; Simpson handed out nine assists and was one shy of a double-double.
Teske and sophomore David DeJulius led the Wolverines with seven rebounds each, a total which marked a career high for DeJulius. Defensively, U-M blocked six shots -- three of them by Teske.
Michigan and Creighton traded baskets over the first four minutes of the opening half, and the score was tied, 8-8, at the 15:38 mark. Livers and sophomore Adrien Nunez each made a three-pointer in the opening minutes and Simpson assisted on two of the Wolverines' three buckets.
Trailing the Bluejays, 13-12, the Wolverines went on a 6-0 scoring run, fueled by threes from Simpson and Livers on back-to-back possessions. With 8:52 to play in the first half, DeJulius made a step-back three in the corner to extend Michigan's lead to seven, 26-19.
A Teske dunk pushed Michigan's advantage to 31-23 with 6:50 left before halftime, but the Bluejays went on an 11-2 run to give them a 34-33 lead with 3:18 remaining. Efficient offense in the closing minutes by both teams kept the game close, and Creighton took a 41-38 lead into the locker room at the half.
Livers led the offense in the first half with 11 points. Simpson added eight points and also dished out a team-high six assists. Teske paced U-M on the glass, pulling down four of Michigan's 10 first-half rebounds. The Wolverines shot 53.6 percent from the field, which included a season-high seven first-half three-pointers.
Michigan opened the second half on an 8-2 run, during which Simpson scored three of the four baskets and assisted on the other over a span of 1:55. Michigan remained up one, 46-45, at the 16:29 mark.
Livers continued to be the spark for the Michigan offense, hitting jump shots on consecutive possessions and extending the lead to 56-50. One minute later, he was on the receiving end of an alley-oop pass from junior Eli Brooks, sending the Crisler Center into a frenzy. The Wolverines rode the excitement of the crowd to a 64-55 advantage with 9:13 to go.
With just over four minutes remaining, Teske converted on an and-one play to make the score 70-61Â with 4:17 on the clock. Creighton continued to stay close down the stretch, keeping the game under 10 points for most of the late stages of regulation.
The Bluejays cut the lead to five at the 3:29 mark, but two baskets from Teske inside the last two minutes helped the Wolverines maintain their edge. Creighton began to foul with just over a minute left on the clock, and effective free-throw shooting down the stretch put the game away.
The Wolverines will return to action when they host Elon on Friday night (Nov. 15) at Crisler Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
