Michigan’s Second Half Scoring Barrage Sinks RedHawks
By: Jack Mueller
Miami fell to 2-2 on the season after a second-half offensive barrage propelled the Michigan Wolverines towards a 94-67 win over the RedHawks in Ann Arbor on monday night.
Dusty May’s team outscored Miami 50-31 in the second half, relying on offense by committee to build the lead. Eight Wolverines got on the score sheet, with Nimari Burnett (10 points)and Will Tschetter (nine) leading their team in scoring after the break. As a team, they shot 56% from the floor and 53% from three point land in the second period
The RedHawks gave the home fans a scare in the first half, as a stellar defensive effort allowed Miami to take the lead for five minutes before the halftime horn. Travis Steele’s team forced 12 turnovers and shot 47% from beyond the arc before the offense lost momentum, allowing Michigan to build a lead they would not relinquish.
Eian Elmer was the highlight of the Miami offense for the second straight game. Coming off of a 24-point, nine rebound performance against UMES, he added 14 to his season total. The sophomore forward asserted himself on the glass and on defense as well, pulling down two offensive rebounds and racking up three steals.
Kam Craft, who came into the game averaging 19 points in the young season, continued to show his offensive prowess. The Xavier transfer added 13 points, albeit on 33% from the field. As good as the RedHawks’ shooting has been this season (48% FG%, 2nd in MAC), there were stretches where the offense struggled to get shots to fall.
Miami put Dusty May’s starting lineup on the back foot early, forcing the Wolverines into three turnovers in the first three minutes of action. The Michigan head coach made a full-team substitution, putting his starters on the bench before the first media timeout. The bench unit continued to struggle, turning the ball over two more times before five minutes had elapsed. Miami took advantage, jumping out to an early 7-5 lead behind five points from Eian Elmer.
The Wolverines did not stay down for long. Freshman guard L.J. Cason put up four straight points and Sam Walters connected from three to give the home team a 12-7 advantage.Two threes by Nimari Burnett extended the Michigan lead to 20-14, but Kam Craft and Eian Elmer answered back with threes of their own to tie the game. Craft then found space from mid-range to give Miami their second lead of the night.
The two teams traded highlights with five minutes to go in the half. Evan Ipsaro (6’0”) hit a tough three over Danny Wolf (7’0”) and Eian Elmer went coast-to-coast with a dunk. Michigan responded via a Rubin Jones dime to Wolf for an and-one. Ipsaro and Jones continued to compete, trading baskets, leaving Miami with a one-point 30-29 lead with four minutes to play in the first half.
Michigan ended the first half with authority, ending the half on a 16-7 run, going to the locker rooms with a 44-36 lead. The size of Wolf and Vladislav Goldin (7’1”) gave Miami trouble as they combined for six of those points. Tre Donaldson connected on two threes to stretch the RedHawk defense as well.
They picked up right where they left off in the second half, jumping out to a 14-1 run in the first six minutes. Burnett finished through contact for two and Roddy Gayle Jr. deposited a wide-open three pointer to get the Michigan offense rolling. Peter Suder dispatched a reverse layup at the rim to end the RedHawks’ drought, but not before Michigan had built a 16-point lead.
The size of Michigan’s frontcourt continued to be key for the success of the Michigan offense, as Goldin slipped through the middle of the lane for an easy dunk to give the Wolverines a 25-point lead with six minutes to play. The guards added another dimension to the home side’s offense as well. Gayle Jr. and Burnett added 17 combined points on FG% from the field.
The lone senior on the RedHawk roster, Dan Luers, made his first appearance of the season as the clock wound down. The former Eastern Illinois forward stepped up off of the bench and connected from three on his first shot of the season. Back-to-back-and-ones from Brant Byers and Jackson Kotecki gave the RedHawks something to cheer about in the final two minutes, but the lead was far too large to overcome. When the clock wound down to triple zeroes the scoreboard displayed a 27-point Michigan win.
The RedHawks now have a week to rest and make adjustments before traveling down to Florida for two games as a part of the Fort Myers Classic. Miami will face Siena on Monday, before taking on Jacksonville or Mercer on Tuesday.