Michigan
23-9,14-6Big Ten
Purdue
22-11,13-7Big Ten
Second-Half Push Guides Michigan Past Purdue, Into B1G Tourney Semifinals
3/14/2025 11:27:00 PM | Men's Basketball
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Leading by four at halftime, the No. 22-ranked and third-seeded University of Michigan men's basketball team shot 65.4 percent in the second half and held sixth seed Purdue to 33.3 percent to fuel an 86-68 win over the No. 20-ranked Boilermakers in a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal contest on Friday night (March 14) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
With the win, the Wolverines advance to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals and will face No. 11 and second seed Maryland on Saturday (March 15) at approximately 3:30 p.m. for a spot in the championship game.
Leaders and Best
Danny Wolf led the way with 19 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, converting 7-of-10 from the field and 2-for-4 from three. Vladislav Goldin added 15 points, eight rebounds and shot 5-for-7 from the charity stripe. Tre Donaldson scored 13 and dished out five assists. Roddy Gayle Jr. was the fourth Wolverine in double figures, adding 11 points and four rebounds.
First Half
Michigan (23-9) quickly trailed 6-0 as the Boilermakers made two driving layups and a putback to jump out to the early lead. However, the Maize and Blue responded with a 12-0 run, thanks to the spark of Nimari Burnett's turnaround jumper and a deep three-pointer.
As the game settled into a classic Big Ten battle, U-M drove inside, drawing five early Purdue fouls and making eight early trips to the free-throw line. Midway through the half, U-M held a seven-point advantage, 19-12, as five different Wolverines scored.
The Boilermakers (22-11) chipped away and trailed by five, 26-21, in step with U-M suffering an 0-for-6 drought over three minutes. With fouls slowing the game on both sides, the game was played evenly over the final eight minutes. Despite Purdue closing the half with a 15-14 advantage, the Wolverines carried a 40-36 lead into the break.
Second Half
Michigan built on its halftime lead to 10 after the break, but three straight shots from the Boilermakers cut into the Wolverine lead and U-M led by seven, 52-45, six minutes into the final 20 minutes.
A 6-0 run powered by shots from Donaldson and Gayle pushed Michigan's lead to 15 as it held a 65-50 lead over Purdue with 11:19 to go. That margin was short-lived as Purdue made shots to pull within 10, but a Gayle layup stopped the brief Purdue run to put the Wolverines up 12 with 8:36 left to go.
A three-pointer from the Boilermakers cut Michigan's lead to nine points, 70-61, with 7:01 left, but that was the closest Purdue got to U-M for the remainder of the contest. Wolf made a three-pointer right before the under-four-minute timeout to give Michigan an 80-64 advantage. The Wolverines pulled away, making five of their last six shots, closing the game out on free throws to advance to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
What's Next
Michigan advances to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals on Saturday (March 15) against No. 2-seed Maryland (25-7) for a spot in the championship game. Tipoff is scheduled for approximately 3:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on CBS.
Notes
• Michigan advances to its 11th Big Ten Tournament semifinal; the Wolverines are 5-5 on the previous 10.
• U-M's win over No. 20 Purdue evens the Wolverines record to 5-5 against nationally ranked teams. It also snapped a three-game losing streak against the Top 25.
• Nimari Burnett has not missed a game or start in his U-M career, playing in 64 straight.
• Sam Walters missed the last nine games: one due to a family funeral and eight due to a lingering lower-back injury. Justin Pippen did not make the trip to Indianapolis due to concussion protocols.
