Michigan
13-3,5-0Big Ten
Washington
10-7,1-5Big Ten
U-M Downs Washington to Begin Conference Play 5-0
1/12/2025 5:18:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 24-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half to defeat Washington, 91-75, on Sunday (Jan. 12) at Crisler Center.
Leaders and Best
A well-rounded scoring effort gave Michigan five double-figure scorers on the day. Vladislav Goldin led the charge with 19 points and seven rebounds, while Nimari Burnett recorded 16 points, going 6-for-6 from the field, including making all four of his three-point attempts. Roddy Gayle Jr. had 15 points, Sam Walters added 12, and Danny Wolf contributed 11 points and eight rebounds.
Second Half
With Michigan leading 48-38, Burnett's hot streak continued into the second half with a three-pointer to kick off the scoring for the Wolverines. Michigan (13-3, 5-0 Big Ten) maintained its double-digit lead as it traded free throws and layups with Washington (10-7, 1-5 Big Ten) until a turnover-heavy period left both teams scoreless for four minutes.
Will Tschetter ended the lengthy scoring drought for the Wolverines with a three-point basket at the 13:27 mark, giving Michigan a 60-49 advantage. Goldin followed with two consecutive layups to spark a stretch of five straight field goals for Michigan.
A 10-3 scoring surge opened up the largest lead of the day for the Wolverines (19 points) off a made three-pointer by Justin Pippen with five minutes left. The majority of the remaining points for both teams came from free throws, and U-M finished out the 91-75 victory despite not converting a field goal in the final four minutes of play.
First Half
Goldin's fifth three-pointer of the season and early foul trouble for the Huskies helped the Wolverines build an 11-5 lead to open the game. Michigan maintained its momentum as Wolf made back-to-back layups, initiating an 8-for-10 field goal stretch for U-M that lasted seven minutes.
Burnett ended a three-minute scoreless stretch for the Wolverines with a driving layup to bring the lead to 33-26 with seven minutes remaining in the half. He continued to add points for Michigan, with 11 of his 13 first-half points coming in the final seven minutes of the period, and U-M led by 10 at the break.
Michigan shot 17-for-29 (58.5 percent) from the field in the first half with only two missed layups, overcoming a 5-for-15 (33.3 percent) performance from long range.
What's Next
Michigan will travel to Minneapolis to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Thursday (Jan. 16). The game will be broadcast live on FS1 at 6 p.m. CT.
Notes
• Michigan is 5-0 to start to Big Ten play for the first time since the 2021-22 season, when the Wolverines started 6-0 in the conference.
• Burnett has scored in double figures in six of his last seven games.
• Wolf reached 700 career points with a free throw at the 18:51 mark of the second half.
• This is U-M's fifth straight game with 10 or more made three-pointers.
• Michigan's 48 first-half points are the most the Wolverines have scored in a half in Big Ten play since scoring 55 points in the second half against Iowa on Dec. 10, 2023. It's also the most points Washington has allowed in a half this season.
• Walters made three shots from behind the arc for the third time this season, tying his season high.
