Michigan
16-1,6-1Big Ten
Oregon
8-10,1-6Big Ten
Wolverines Defeat Ducks to Complete West Coast Sweep
1/17/2026 7:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EUGENE, Ore. -- The fourth-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team earned an 81-71 road win over Oregon on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 17) at Matthew Knight Arena. Michigan shot 60 percent from the field in the second half to secure the 10-point victory after facing just its third halftime deficit of the season.
Leaders and Best
Elliot Cadeau led Michigan in scoring for the third time this season and the second time in three games, finishing with 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting with two three-pointers and a 5-for-7 mark at the free-throw line. He also led the Wolverines with five assists. Nimari Burnett posted a full stat line with 15 points, three three-pointers, three rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block, scoring 10 of his points in the first half. Aday Mara rounded out Michigan's double-figure scorers with 12 points, three field goals, and six free throws, while adding three assists and three blocks.
Second Half
Oregon scored first to open the second half and tie the game at 43 before Burnett answered with a three-pointer in front of the Michigan bench. Burnett and Mara followed with consecutive dunks, each assisted by the other, as Burnett either scored or assisted on Michigan's first 10 second-half points. The Wolverines opened the half on a 6-0 run over nearly two minutes while holding Oregon scoreless, prompting a media timeout at the 15:09 mark.
Mara continued the run with two free throws and a layup through contact, accounting for eight straight Michigan points. Cadeau's reverse finish capped a 12-2 surge over four minutes to give the Wolverines a seven-point lead heading into the under-12 timeout, as Michigan opened the half by hitting seven of its first 10 field-goal attempts. L.J. Cason ended a brief scoring drought with a three-pointer off an assist from Roddy Gayle Jr., his second triple of the game.
Gayle followed with his first basket on a floater from the left lane at the 9:49 mark, forcing an Oregon timeout. Morez Johnson Jr. then scored from the left block at 9:12 to push Michigan's lead into double digits for the first time in more than 20 minutes.
With 5:55 remaining, officials corrected an initial ruling following a missed three-pointer and credited Michigan with the offensive rebound after a brief discussion. The possession resulted in a Johnson basket, his third in four Michigan makes. Yaxel Lendeborg and Johnson recorded blocks on consecutive possessions before Lendeborg forced a steal that led to another Johnson score with 2:11 remaining. Cadeau closed the scoring by knocking down three free throws to secure Michigan's 10-point victory.
First Half
Michigan opened the game with a Cadeau reverse finish on the first possession, and Lendeborg set the tone defensively with a chase-down block on Oregon's third trip down the floor. The Ducks missed their first four shots, while Michigan drew four fouls in the opening four minutes. Mara found Cason in the left corner for a three-pointer out of a double team at the 14:51 mark to give Michigan an early five-point edge.
The Wolverines held Oregon scoreless for nearly three minutes, and the Ducks did not score their third basket until the 12:24 mark while shooting 25 percent through the first seven and a half minutes. Eight different Wolverines scored Michigan's first 17 points, with no player scoring more than three by the under-12 timeout. Will Tschetter converted two free throws at the 10:39 mark to give Michigan its first double-digit lead.
Oregon responded with four straight free throws, including two off a technical foul, to cut the lead to two before Burnett answered with a right-wing three-pointer and a transition dunk off a steal on back-to-back possessions with 7:16 remaining.
Oregon took its first lead following a three-pointer and driving layup with 1:43 left in the half. Mara went 3-for-4 from the free-throw line across two trips, with a block on the defensive end in between, to reclaim a 40-38 lead before Oregon used its final timeout with 0:44 remaining. The Ducks hit a buzzer-beating three to take a one-point lead into halftime. Michigan missed its final seven field-goal attempts over the last 6:35 of the half but converted seven free throws during that stretch.
What's Next
Michigan will open a three-game Big Ten homestand Tuesday night (Jan. 20) against Indiana in the Martin Luther King Celebration game. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on Peacock.
Notes
• Michigan is one of two Big Ten teams undefeated against West Coast opponents since conference expansion, improving to 6-0 with four road wins. The Wolverines are the first Big Ten team to reach six such victories, scoring 80 or more points in all six games while averaging 85.5 points per game.
• Burnett was Michigan's second-leading scorer in the previous meeting against Oregon on Feb. 5, 2025, and finished with 13 points in Saturday's win while helping prevent a late comeback.
• Burnett recorded his third game this season with three or more made three-pointers. The others came against Oakland (Nov. 3) and Gonzaga (Nov. 26).
• Cadeau now has four games this season with double-digit points and at least five assists, also doing so against Wake Forest (Nov. 11), Rutgers (Dec. 6), and Maryland (Dec. 13).
• Mara recorded his third game in four outings with at least three blocks and his seventh such performance of the season.
• Michigan is one of three teams nationally with eight players averaging at least 19 minutes per game.
• All three of Michigan's halftime deficits this season have occurred on the road.
