Michigan
5-0,0-0Big Ten
San Diego State
2-2,0-0Mountain West
Michigan Overpowers San Diego State in Players Era Opener
11/25/2025 1:39:00 AM | Men's Basketball
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Six double-digit scorers led a balanced attack for the seventh-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team (5-0) in a 94-54 rout of San Diego State on Monday night (Nov. 24) at Michelob ULTRA Arena. The Wolverines opened their first game of the 2025 Players Era Festival with season highs in steals (11) and second-chance points (22) while holding the Aztecs to 27 percent shooting -- the lowest field-goal percentage by a Michigan opponent this season.
Leaders and Best
Yaxel Lendeborg led Michigan in scoring for the third straight game with a game-high 15 points, also adding six rebounds and four assists. Morez Johnson Jr. followed with 13 points and six rebounds, including four on the offensive glass.
In the backcourt, Elliot Cadeau posted 13 points on 3-for-5 shooting from deep, and Roddy Gayle Jr. missed just once from the field on his way to 11 points. Nimari Burnett added his second double-digit outing of the season with 11 points, while Will Tschetter rounded out the Wolverines' top scorers with 10 points and three offensive rebounds in 16 minutes of action.
Second Half
Johnson opened the second half by cleaning up his own miss and converting a three-point play to extend the Wolverines' lead to 16 less than two minutes in. A minute later, Lendeborg connected from deep to push the margin to 20 as U-M limited the Aztecs to 1-for-10 shooting from the field. Gayle capped a 12-2 Michigan run with seven straight points, giving U-M a 66-39 advantage with 11:38 remaining.
The Wolverines cruised through the final 10 minutes, forcing 11 SDSU turnovers and holding the Aztecs to just 18 percent shooting after halftime.
First Half
Michigan spotted San Diego State the first five points before rattling off a 21-9 run to seize control by the 12-minute mark. A balanced start saw all five Wolverine starters on the scoresheet by the midway point of the half, highlighted by 10 points apiece from Lendeborg and Burnett.
With three minutes to play, the Aztecs used a trio of three-pointers to cut the once 17-point deficit to single digits. However, Michigan's 25-17 rebounding edge and 12 second-chance points helped the Wolverines maintain control, taking a 45-33 lead into halftime.
What's Next
Michigan will face No. 21 Auburn on Tuesday (Nov. 25) at 8:30 p.m. ET in the second round of the 2025 Players Era Festival.
Game Notes
• Lendeborg's 15 points moved him to 1,211 career points in Division I and 2,237 overall at the collegiate level.
• Tschetter became the 76th Wolverine in program history to appear in 100 career games and has now played in 73 of Michigan's last 74 contests.
• Burnett's layup before the under-12 media timeout brought him to 908 career points.
• The win marked Michigan's fifth straight game with 40-plus rebounds, tying the longest streak of the Dusty May era.
