Michigan
5-1,0-0Big Ten
Jackson State
0-4,0-0SWAC
Howard, Williams II Lead U-M to Victory Over Visiting Jackson State
11/23/2022 11:33:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: Michigan 78, Jackson State 68
Records: U-M (5-1), JSU (0-4)
Attendance: 10,244
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, Nov. 29 -- vs. #5 Virginia (Crisler Center), 9:30 p.m. (TV: ESPN)
• Watch: Juwan Howard Postgame Press Conference
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Tough defense and spectacular three-point shooting propelled the University of Michigan men's basketball team to a 78-68 Thanksgiving-eve victory over Jackson State on Wednesday (Nov. 23) at Crisler Center.
SUMMARY: Despite a back-and-forth first half, Michigan (5-1) was able to pull away from Jackson State (0-4) behind 19 points from Jett Howard and 11 points from Terrance Williams II. The Wolverines blocked 13 shots throughout the game and shot 50 percent from beyond the arc to create a sizable lead. Six free throws in the closing minutes from Jaelin Llewellyn stopped a late JSU surge.
FIRST HALF: Michigan struggled from the field to start the first half, but stellar defense on the other end of the floor kept U-M within striking distance. The defensive effort held off the Tigers long enough for the Wolverines to tie the game at 6 off triples from Llewellyn and Kobe Bufkin 4:50 into the game. The teams were tied five different times throughout the first 10 minutes of the half. Dug McDaniel kept the Wolverines close with a corner three and a smooth driving layup, and U-M finally took its first lead on a Jace Howard triple from the top of the key with eight minutes to play before the break. When the Tigers took another two-point lead, baseline jumpers from Hunter Dickinson and Williams from nearly the exact same spot on the floor to give the advantage right back to Michigan. After a timeout, Dickinson pinned a JSU layup attempt to the glass which led to a pair of Bufkin free throws on the other end. A 6-0 run gave the Maize and Blue a 26-22 lead with five minutes to play before the half. A mid-range jumper from Williams and a pair of free throws from Jett Howard extended Michigan's lead to five before a Bufkin steal and fastbreak score put the Wolverines up 34-27. With one final chance to score before the half, Jett Howard drained a fadeaway triple from the corner mere seconds before the halftime buzzer to give Michigan a 37-27 lead at the break. U-M ended the half on a 9-0 run.
SECOND HALF: Williams opened the second half red-hot, quickly sinking a layup and a transition three-pointer to stretch the Michigan lead to 13. He then blocked a JSU shot attempt which turned into a Howard fastbreak layup. A Jett Howard corner three followed by a Dickinson free throw put U-M up 51-36, but JSU quickly answered with a three-pointer of its own, cutting the U-M lead to 51-39 with 12 minutes to play. Joey Baker shot-faked his defender and sidestepped to make a three on two straight Michigan possessions, which was followed by a transition three from Jett Howard. Michigan continued its run with a McDaniel floater and Howard layup to push the lead to 21 with eight minutes remaining. Jackson State answered with an 8-0 run, which was stifled by a pull-up triple from Bufkin. Another three from Jett Howard put Michigan up 17, but two late three-pointers, a dunk and a layup from the Tigers brought the game within seven at the 30 second mark. The JSU run was all for naught, as six free throws from Llewellyn sealed the win for the Wolverines.
WHAT'S NEXT: The Wolverines will host No. 5 Virginia on Tuesday night (Nov. 29) at Crisler Center as part of the ACC/Big Ten. The game will tip off at 9:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN.
Notes
• Hunter Dickinson recorded 14 rebounds for his third game with double-digit rebounds this season.
• Jett Howard led the Wolverines with 19 points, his second game leading the team in scoring this season. He has reached double figures in five of six games.
• Kobe Bufkin swatted a career high three shots. Bufkin had three blocks in his entire freshman season and three blocks in all prior games this season.
• As a team, Michigan blocked 13 shots, which is tied for second-most in a single game in program history.
