Michigan
23-5,14-3Big Ten
UCLA
22-9,13-6Pac-12
Michigan Eliminated from NCAA Tournament as Comeback vs. UCLA Falls Short
3/30/2021 11:59:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» Hunter Dickinson led Michigan with 11 points.
» The Wolverines scored 32 points in the paint.
» Michigan ends its season with a 23-5 overall record.
Site: Indianapolis, Ind. (Lucas Oil Stadium)
Event: NCAA Tournament (Elite Eight)
Score: UCLA 51, #4 Michigan 49
Records: U-M (23-5), UCLA (22-9)
Next U-M Event: Season completed
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The No. 1-seeded University of Michigan men's basketball team saw its 2020-21 season come to a close as it fell 51-49 to No. 11-seeded UCLA on Tuesday night (March 30) in an Elite Eight contest at Lucas Oil Stadium.
A pair of made free throws by Franz Wagner in the final minute brought the Wolverines within one, but they were unable to convert on their final possessions.
Freshman Hunter Dickinson led the Michigan offense with 11 points, while Brandon Johns Jr. had eight points, Eli Brooks added eight points, five rebounds and four assists and Chaundee Brown Jr. added eight points, nine rebounds, two assists and one steal. Wagner ended the night with eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, one block and four points, while Mike Smith collected five rebounds, four assists and made a key three-pointer late in the game.
The Michigan defense iced out UCLA for more than six minutes and went on a 9-0 run and take an 11-4 lead with just under 10 minutes to play in the first half. The Wolverines suffered a scoring drought of its own, and the Bruins took their first lead of the game 27-23 heading into the halftime break.
Johns led Michigan with eight points on 4-for-4 shooting, while Smith dished out four assists and Brown had five rebounds in the first 20 minutes.
Trailing for the first eight minutes of the second half, the Wolverines put together an 8-0 run as UCLA suffered a second scoring drought of more than six minutes to bring U-M one 34-33 and force a Bruins timeout.
Michigan kept the game within a few points until Smith hit a triple and gave the Wolverines their first lead since the first half 43-42 with 7:06 remaining.
The two teams would stay within three points of one another with Wagner hitting two free throws with less than a minute to play to put Michigan within one, 50-49. UCLA split its final two free throws of the night, giving Michigan another possession, but it was unable to find the go-ahead basket.
The Wolverines finished the season with a 23-5 overall record, reaching the Sweet 16 in its fourth consecutive NCAA Tourament and advanced to the Elite Eight for the fourth time since 2013.
