Michigan
Cleveland State
U-M Wins Big Over Cleveland State to Begin Dusty May Era
11/4/2024 10:32:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team opened the regular season at home on Monday night, Nov. 4, defeating Cleveland State 101-53 at Crisler Center.
Leaders and Best
Danny Wolf recorded a double-double in his Michigan debut, scoring 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting while adding 13 rebounds, three blocks, and three steals. Tre Donaldson scored 16 points and dished out seven assists. Will Tschetter scored 15 points, and L.J. Cason added 14 points. Roddy Gayle Jr. added 13 points and four assists, while Sam Walters chipped in 10 points.
First Half
Michigan's defense forced four Cleveland State turnovers in the first four minutes before the first media timeout, propelling U-M to an early 8-2 lead. After the slow start, both teams began to find their rhythm on offense. Michigan made nine consecutive field-goal attempts, while Cleveland State converted four in a row.
The Wolverines led 25-17 in a scrappy opening 10 minutes, with both teams entering the bonus before the 11-minute mark. U-M went 11-for-15 from the line in the opening period.
U-M closed out the half on a 22-5 run to lead 54-26 at the break, as Cleveland State shot 1-for-12 down the stretch. The Vikings failed to grab a defensive rebound in the first eight minutes but were strong on the offensive glass, scoring 15 second-chance points off 11 offensive rebounds.
Michigan shot 71.4 percent from the field in the first half, scoring 18 points on fast breaks. Wolf led the way with 14 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks. Two other Wolverines reached double figures in the opening 20 minutes, with Gayle scoring 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting and Donaldson adding 10 points.
Second Half
U-M's offense picked up where it left off, making 10 of its first 13 field-goal attempts to lead 79-40 halfway through the second half. Michigan's defense continued to force turnovers, scoring 17 points off 12 second-half turnovers. Cason contributed key minutes, scoring 10 second-half points, including two early three-pointers.
In the second half, Michigan outscored Cleveland State 43-25. Overall, the Wolverines shot 56 percent from behind the arc and 68.4 percent from the field. U-M's defense held Cleveland State to 30 percent shooting from the field and 11 percent from three-point range.
What's Next
Michigan will travel to Greensboro, N.C., for a neutral-site game against Wake Forest in the Deacon-Wolverine Challenge on Sunday (Nov. 10) at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
Notes
• Michigan's 68.4 percent shooting from the field fell just short of the program record of 69.2 percent (45-for-65) set against Alaska-Anchorage on Dec. 30, 1986.
• Fourteen Wolverines entered the game, with 10 of them scoring.
• Cason and fellow freshman Phat Phat Brooks scored the first points of their collegiate careers.
