Michigan
35-3,19-1Big Ten
Tennessee
25-12,11-7SEC
Michigan Trounces Vols to Punch Ticket to Final Four
3/29/2026 4:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball
CHICAGO, Ill. -- The No. 3-ranked and top-seeded University of Michigan men's basketball team punched its ticket to the NCAA Final Four, taking down No. 6 seed and No. 23-ranked Tennessee, 95-62, on Sunday (March 29) at the United Center in Chicago.
Michigan used a dominant six-minute, 21-0 surge -- part of a larger 27-4 run -- to seize control early, holding Tennessee to just 10 points over the final 11 minutes of the first half. The Wolverines built a 20-point halftime lead -- their first of 20 or more since Feb. 5 -- and never looked back.
Michigan's advancement marks the program's ninth appearance on college basketball's biggest stage. The Wolverines have had success in national semifinal matchups, holding a 7-1 all-time record, including a seven-game winning streak dating back to 1964.
This will be Michigan's third Final Four berth since 2013, following previous runs in 2013 and 2018.
Leaders and Best
For the third straight game this tournament, Midwest Region Most Outstanding Player Yaxel Lendeborg paced Michigan in scoring. He finished with 27 points on 10 field goals, adding seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
Morez Johnson Jr. contributed 12 points, including eight from the free-throw line, and grabbed five rebounds. Aday Mara added 11 points, four boards, and two blocks, while Trey McKenney chipped in 10 points off the bench.
Turning Point
The decisive moment came at the 10:52 mark of the first half. After Johnson converted a free throw, Michigan erupted for 21 unanswered points over a five-minute stretch, with six different Wolverines contributing. Lendeborg led the charge with eight points, pushing the lead to 19 -- and it only grew from there.
First Half
Michigan (35-3) controlled the opening tip, with Mara scoring the game's first basket on a drop-step dunk. After an early back-and-forth stretch, the Wolverines saw seven different players score their first 14 points as the game sat tied at 14-14 midway through the half.
Following a brief scoring lull, Lendeborg sparked an 11-0 run with a three-point play, and Roddy Gayle Jr. followed with a corner three to extend the lead. The Wolverines continued to pour it on with scores from Elliot Cadeau, McKenney and Nimari Burnett, eventually completing a 21-0 run over five minutes to build a 35-16 advantage.
Tennessee (25-12) briefly answered with a 6-0 run late in the half, but Michigan closed strong. Lendeborg added a late layup to send the Wolverines into the break with a commanding 48-26 lead.
Second Half
Michigan maintained control after halftime, opening with a flurry of efficient offense that included a three-pointer from Mara. The Wolverines hit five of their first six shots coming out of the break, while Tennessee struggled to find rhythm.
A technical foul against the Volunteers allowed Lendeborg to extend the lead to 30 points at the free-throw line. Though Tennessee put together brief scoring spurts, Michigan consistently responded to keep the margin comfortable.
Oscar Goodman hit a jumper with 2:32 to play, and Charlie May scored the team's final points -- and tenth three-pointer of the game -- from the right corner to seal the 33-point victory.
What's Next
Michigan advances to the Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where it will face No. 2-ranked Arizona on Saturday (April 4). Tip time is to be announced, with the game to air on TBS.
Notes
• Michigan has advanced to its ninth Final Four in program history (1964, 1965, 1976, 1989, 1992, 1993, 2013, 2018, 2026). It will be its second appearance as a No. 1 seed (1993) and second as Midwest champion (1976).
• Dusty May is now the fifth coach in program history to lead the Wolverines to the Final Four.
• The 33-point win marks the second-largest NCAA Tournament margin of victory in program history (record: 37 points vs. Virginia in 1989 Elite Eight).
• Michigan's 22-point halftime lead ranks among the largest in Elite Eight history (fourth) and is the second-largest in program NCAA Tournament history -- falling just shy of its 24-point lead held at halftime against Texas A&M in the 2018 Sweet Sixteen.
• The Wolverines have now recorded four wins of 30+ points against AP Top 25 teams this season.
• Michigan has scored 381 points through four NCAA Tournament games, surpassing the 1989 national championship team's total at the same stage (377).
• With Michigan's victory today, they move to 8-5 in games against Tennessee, dating back to 1958. It has now won five of these contests in a row since 1985, with the last four victories coming in the NCAA Tournament (2011, 2014, 2022, 2026).
• U-M and Tennessee have faced off in the NCAA Tournament now four times in program history. U-M has only played UCLA (five matchups) and UNC (four matchups) more or as many times in tournament history.
• Cadeau's three-pointer at the 7:52 mark in the middle of the 21-0 first-half run pushed him past the 1,000 career point milestone. He is now one of four active Wolverines to score more than 1,000 points in a career.
• At the 15:30 mark, Mara recorded his 100th block of the season, making him the first Wolverine in program history to record 100 blocks in a season. Mara has recorded a block in all 38 games -- with a total of 11 blocks across the first four games of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
• Michigan has made at least 10 three-pointers in all four tournament games and is shooting 44.6 percent from beyond the arc.
