Michigan
6-0,0-0Big Ten
Auburn
5-2,0-0SEC
Wolverines Dominate No. 21 Auburn to Advance to Players Era Championship
11/25/2025 11:44:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- The seventh-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team dispatched No. 21 Auburn, 102-72, on Tuesday night (Nov. 25) inside Michelob ULTRA Arena to advance to the Players Era Championship game. For the second straight game, six Wolverines scored in double figures as Michigan secured its largest win over a ranked power-four opponent since 1987.
Leaders and Best
Yaxel Lendeborg led Michigan (6-0) in scoring for the fourth straight game, finishing with 17 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists. Roddy Gayle Jr. matched him with season highs in points (17) and rebounds (six), while Morez Johnson Jr. added 15 for his fifth double-figure outing in six games.
Trey McKenney and L.J. Cason contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively, and Nimari Burnett rounded out the double-figure scorers with a season-best 15 points.
Second Half
Gayle and Lendeborg buried three-pointers to extend the lead to 30 points five minutes into the half as Michigan stayed hot from behind the arc. U-M drained four of its first seven attempts from deep, and the bench added 11 points in the opening nine minutes.
Winters Grady recorded his first collegiate basket as part of Michigan's 26 second-half bench points, and the Wolverines hit the century mark with 2:30 remaining. The lead never dipped below 24 as U-M secured its third straight blowout victory.
First Half
Auburn (5-2) opened the contest 0-for-8 from the field while Michigan strung together 11 straight points to take early control. The Wolverines' size created issues at the rim, where they owned a 24-8 points-in-the-paint advantage behind 27 combined points from Lendeborg and Johnson.
The Tigers did not record a field goal until the 14-minute mark, committing six turnovers that led to 12 Michigan points. U-M shot nearly 60 percent from the field and 41 percent from three in the first half to build a 59-31 advantage heading into the locker room.
What's Next
Michigan will face No. 12 Gonzaga on Wednesday (Nov. 26) at 6:30 p.m. PT in the Players Era Championship at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The game will air on TNT.
Game Notes
• The victory marked Michigan's first NCAA-recognized 30-plus-point win over a power-four opponent since a 104-68 win against No. 3 Purdue on March 3, 1987.
• The Wolverines scored 100-plus points against a ranked foe for the first time since the 1989-90 season, when they topped No. 6 Duke, 113-108.
• Eleven Wolverines reached the scoresheet, the most in a game this season.
• Burnett and Gayle recorded new season highs in scoring, while Grady scored the first points of his collegiate career.
