Michigan
26-9,14-6Big Ten
UC San Diego
30-5,18-2Big West
U-M Fends Off UC San Diego in NCAA Tournament First-Round Matchup
3/20/2025 11:59:00 PM | Men's Basketball
DENVER, Colo. -- The 14th-ranked and No. 5-seeded University of Michigan men's basketball team eked out a three-point victory, defeating No. 12-seeded UC San Diego, 68-65, on Thursday night (March 20) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Ball Arena. A pair of late Vladislav Goldin free throws helped the Wolverines advance to the second round.
Leaders and Best
Goldin led the Wolverines with 14 points on 5-for-9 shooting, adding seven rebounds. Tre Donaldson tallied 12 points and seven rebounds, adding to Roddy Gayle Jr.'s 11 points.
Turning Point
With a minute remaining and Michigan up by one, the Wolverines did not make any of their three scoring attempts. After the Tritons missed their attempt, U-M got the ball back, calling a timeout with 42 seconds remaining. Goldin grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled, making both free throws to take a three-point lead. UC San Diego missed their three-point opportunity at the buzzer, giving Michigan a first-round victory.
Second Half
After Goldin hit a free throw for Michigan (26-9) to add to his 11 first-half points, UC San Diego (30-5) scored 12 consecutive points to cut the U-M lead to three, 42-39. The Wolverines struggled from the field, making only one of eight shots over the first eight minutes. Making four straight free throws after previously going 3-for-9 (33.3 percent), U-M went on a 10-2 run while forcing eight consecutive UCSD missed baskets, bringing back its double-digit lead, 56-46.
Goldin picked up his fourth foul at 8:27 and the Tritons took advantage, cutting the Michigan lead to five with seven minutes left. After trading baskets with Michigan, UC San Diego made two straight baskets to tie up the game at 63 with just over three minutes remaining. After a missed U-M free throw, the Tritons took their first lead on a jumper. The Wolverines responded immediately with a Donaldson three-point basket to retake the lead, 66-65.
First Half
The Wolverines jumped out to an early 10-0 start on two straight three-pointers by Danny Wolf and Nimari Burnett, forcing four UC San Diego turnovers and six missed shots before the Tritons scored their first points at 14:55. Michigan had turnover woes of its own with four before ending a three-minute scoreless period on a Gayle three-point basket, bringing the score to 13-4 with 13 minutes to go. in the half
UCSD responded with back-to-back layups after consecutive Michigan turnovers, but U-M used a 4-for-4 shooting stretch to score seven straight points, bringing its lead to 12, 20-8, with just over 10 minutes remaining. Despite leading by double digits, the Wolverines continued to turn the ball over, tallying eight in the first 11 minutes of the half. Goldin scored U-M's final nine points of the half, finishing with an and-1 to bring a 14-point U-M lead into halftime, 41-27.
Michigan had 12 bench points, UCSD's two. The Wolverines shot 17-for-32 (53.1 percent) in the first half with 24 points in the paint, outshooting the Tritons (11-for-32, 34.4 percent). Each team struggled from the free-throw line, shooting less than 50 percent.
What's Next
Michigan will move onto the second round to compete against No. 19-ranked and fourth-seeded Texas A&M on Saturday (March 22). Tipoff is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. MT, and the game will be broadcast live on CBS.
Notes
• Michigan returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022.
• Gayle, Rubin Jones and L.J. Cason played in their first NCAA Tournament game.
• After closing the regular season with three straight losses, Michigan's win helped it remain undefeated in the postseason (4-0). U-M won all three games at the 2025 Big Ten Tournament.
• With the victory, U-M earned Dusty May his 26th win and became U-M's all-time winningest first-year coach. He passed Brian Ellerbe's 25-9 mark (1997-98). Earlier this season, May's 14 Big Ten wins put him in the top spot as he passed Steve Fisher's 12-6 mark (1989-90).
• Michigan is one of eight Big Ten teams in the 2025 NCAA Tournament field. On the first day, No. 3 Wisconsin defeated No. 14 Montana, 85-66, No. 4 Purdue defeated No. 13 High Point, 75-63, and No. 7 UCLA (Midwest) defeated No. 10 Utah State, 72-47.
