Michigan
11-5,2-3Big Ten
Minnesota
9-7,3-3Big Ten
Wolverines Fall Short in Tight Contest at Minnesota
1/12/2020 4:33:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» Zavier Simpson had team-highs in points (19), assists (nine) and rebounds (six).
» Franz Wagner hit four three-pointers en route to 17 points.
» Michigan next will hit the road for a contest against Iowa on Friday night (Jan. 17).
Site: Minneapolis, Minn. (Williams Arena)
Score: Minnesota 75, #19 Michigan 67
Records: U-M (11-5, 2-3 B1G), Minnesota (9-8, 3-3 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Jan. 17 -- at Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), 8 p.m. CST (TV: FS1)
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Trailing by three points with 2:13 remaining, the No. 19-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team was unable to put together a late push and fell, 75-67, to Minnesota on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 12) at Williams Arena.
The game featured 13 lead changes and six ties, but the Wolverines were forced to foul late in the game to try to get the ball back into their hands. Minnesota made four free throws down the stretch and added a three-pointer, while the Wolverines managed just one layup from Zavier Simpson over the final two and a half minutes.
Michigan (11-5, 2-3 Big Ten) had two double-figure scorers in Simspon (team-high 19 points) and Franz Wagner (17), whose total included four three-pointers. Simpson also led the Wolverines in rebounds (nine) and assists (six). Jon Teske scored nine points, grabbed four rebounds and collected three assists in limited action due to foul trouble, and Eli Brooks added nine points.
The Wolverines wasted little time building their lead, going up by six, 11-5, heading into the first media timeout. After the break, Michigan made four of its next six shots, including a three-pointer from Wagner, to take a 22-12 advantage with 9:55 remaining in the first half.
David DeJulius hit back-to-back triples for the Wolverines before Teske made U-M's sixth long-distance shot of the half to put it up, 30-19, with just over five minutes to play in the opening half.
Minnesota (9-8, 3-3 Big Ten) slowed the Michigan offense, putting it on ice for almost five minutes while going on a 9-0 run to bring the Gophers within one, 31-30, at halftime.
Despite the scoring lapse at the end of the first half, Michigan shot 41.4 percent from the field, including 42.9 percent from beyond the arc. Teske and Wagner, who hit two three-pointers, led Michigan with seven points each, while Simpson added six points.
The teams exchanged points to start the second half, with Minnesota taking a two-point advantage, 54-52, with just over nine minutes to play. Simpson knotted the game at 54 with a layup from the left side of the lane after two misses from Minnesota.
Each time Minnesota tried to extend its lead, Michigan had an answer as Wagner hit two three-pointers and Brooks knocked down U-M's 10th three of the afternoon to keep it within one, 66-65, heading into the final media break with 2:35 to play.
A scoring drought of 2:22 and being forced to foul to get possession proved costly for Michigan as its went down, 73-65, out of a timeout with just over a minute left on regulation. Minnesota made four of its free throws and a three-pointer down the stretch, while Michigan managed only a layup from Simpson with five seconds remaining.
U-M will go back on the road as it travels to Iowa City, Iowa, for a Friday night (Jan. 17) contest against the Hawkeyes. Tipoff at Carver-Hawkeye Arena is scheduled for 8 p.m. CST, and the game will be broadcast live on FS1.
