Michigan
19-5,11-2Big Ten
Purdue
19-6,11-3Big Ten
U-M Downs No. 7 Purdue Late to Top Big Ten Standings
2/11/2025 9:40:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team outscored No. 7 Purdue 32-21 over the last 10 minutes—making seven of its last nine field goal attempts—to win 75-73, hoisting the Wolverines atop the Big Ten standings.
Leaders and Best
Four Wolverines scored in double figures. Danny Wolf led Michigan with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Roddy Gayle Jr. had 14 points and seven rebounds. Tre Donaldson and Vladislav Goldin each added 12 points.
Turning Point
Leading by four points with under a minute to play, Rubin Jones slammed home a missed layup, giving Michigan a 73-67 lead with 39 seconds to go. Despite two three-point baskets from Purdue, Wolf made two free throws to close out the game, securing the 75-73 win.
Second Half
Michigan started 1-for-8 from the field in the first four minutes of the half, while Purdue countered by going 4-for-6, allowing the Boilermakers to hold a 46-38 advantage with 15:49 remaining. Both teams suffered cold stretches, shooting 1-for-10 at different stretches in the first eight minutes, and Purdue held onto its lead, 48-42, with 11:45 to go.
Michigan jumped into a zone defense, and Purdue missed eight of its next 10 shots. The Wolverines also struggled from the field, but a Nimari Burnett three-pointer with 8:11 to go allowed U-M to close the gap, trailing just 53-50.
Michigan continued its comeback, taking its first lead of the game at 59-57 with 5:33 to go. Burnett tied the game at 57 with a three-pointer before two free throws from Goldin gave U-M the two-point advantage.
As Purdue went on a 6-0 run in under a minute to regain a four-point lead, a Wolf basket at the 4:14 mark brought Michigan within two. A three-pointer from Donaldson, followed by a steal and layup from Jones, regained the lead for Michigan, 66-65, forcing Purdue to take a timeout with 3:07 remaining. Goldin then blocked a Purdue shot at the rim and drew a foul, making two free throws to give Michigan a 70-67 lead with 2:01 left.
First Half
After Purdue jumped out to an early 12-4 lead, Michigan responded by making six of its next eight field goal attempts to take a 15-14 lead with 13:18 remaining. Donaldson led the charge, starting the game 3-for-3 from the field and scoring nine points in the first seven minutes.
Purdue outscored U-M 13-7 over the next five and a half minutes, holding a 27-22 advantage at the under-eight timeout. Michigan's defense held Purdue to just one field goal in its next seven attempts, resulting in a scoring drought of over three minutes.
The Boilermakers answered by making four of their next five field goal attempts, but Gayle provided a spark off the bench with 12 first-half points to keep U-M close. The Wolverines closed the half on a 9-0 run over the final three and a half minutes, led by a Wolf three-pointer and two free throws from Gayle, cutting the deficit to 37-35 at the break.
What's Next
Michigan will travel to Columbus, Ohio, for a rivalry matchup against Ohio State on Sunday (Feb. 16) at Value City Arena. The game will be broadcast live on CBS, with tip-off set for 1 p.m.
Notes
? Tuesday night marked the first time U-M has beaten a top-10 team at home since defeating No. 3 Purdue 82-58 on Feb. 10, 2022.
? Michigan's 12-0 start at home is its best since the 2020-21 season.
? With two free throws at the 11:51 mark in the first half, Wolf surpassed 800 career points (812).
? With one assist against Purdue, Donaldson reached 100 assists on the season.
