It was close at the end, but Michigan Basketball was able to stay unbeaten in a tight win over Penn State. Here are 6 takeaways from the road victory:
It didn’t come easy, but the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines survived a close game against Penn State, beating the Nittany Lions on the road, 74-72.
In the annual media poll conducted by the Columbus Dispatch and the Indianapolis Star, Penn State was picked to finish dead last in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions entered this game ranked 122nd on KenPom and haven’t won a game against a team currently ranked in the top-200 of KenPom. In other words, they haven’t beaten what KenPom defines as an above-average team so far this season.
But Penn State didn’t make it easy for Michigan, starting off hot and not allowing Michigan’s lead to get higher than 15 in the second half. A 12-0 run cut Michigan’s lead to just three points with seven minutes to play and a 7-0 run cut the lead to just one point in the final minute. But the Wolverines forced key stops, scored in transition, and relied on quality guard play to stay undefeated.
Here are some takeaways.
Learning how to win close games
Michigan didn’t cruise to victory as it has in every game the past six weeks. Penn State kept fighting, forcing the Wolverines to play a close game for the first time since that road win at TCU 52 days ago.
Penn State made some tough shots late, but the Wolverines didn’t panic. Michigan responded well to Penn State’s run, with Aday Mara, Yaxel Lendeborg, Elliot Cadeau and Roddy Gayle Jr. all scoring clutch buckets down the stretch.
Lendeborg played good defense on Penn State late, forcing a long two with Aday Mara grabbing the rebound. Mara could not make free throws late, missing the front end of a few one-and-ones and splitting a pair at the line with 15.1 seconds to play.
Lendeborg and Burnett played excellent defense on the final possession to force up a prayer that didn’t have a chance, and the Wolverines survived and advanced.
Michigan’s usually lights-out defense took some licks tonight, and Penn State played with a lot more energy. The Wolverines could have easily let this one slip away, but poise on offense down the stretch helped Michigan seal the victory. It wasn’t by the usual 20-30 point margin, but you have to learn how to win close games in college hoops as well, especially in the slog of Big Ten play.
Cason thrives in Happy Valley
After the starters lacked energy in the opening minutes, L.J. Cason came off the bench and thrived, hitting shots early and slashing to the rim. He was the catalyst of an 18-5 run that helped the Wolverines go from down six to up seven over a seven-minute first-half span.
Cason had seven points midway through the first half and tied his career-high of 14 points before the first half ended. He didn’t score in the second half, but he kept Michigan’s offense afloat early in this one.
When the media got invited to watch Michigan’s Pro Day before last season, Cason stood out because of his instant offense, with him able to create offense all by himself. He showcased that 1-on-1 scoring in this game, taking defenders to the rim and rolling once he hit a few shots.
Having a player as talented a scorer as Cason coming off the bench is a luxury for the Wolverines. That depth has been a big reason why they’re blowing teams out.
Burnett and McKenney do their part
Cason wasn’t the only Michigan guard who shot well. Nimari Burnett was firing on all cylinders, scoring 12 points and making 2-of-4 shots from three. He ran the floor well in transition and was a reason the Wolverines had 19 fast-break points.
Penn State scored the ball well to start the second half, but Trey McKenney’s scoring burst helped Michigan balloon its lead up to 15 midway through the half. He had 12 points, scoring at all three levels and playing less like a freshman and more like a savvy veteran guard.
It feels like a different trio of players brings the scoring punch each game. On Tuesday night, it was Cason, Burnett and McKenney.
Turnover trouble early
We saw turnovers be a problem for the Wolverines to open this season. The problem subsided during this dominant stretch, but turnovers were an issue again.
Much like the TCU game, Michigan was sloppy with the ball early, turning the ball over six times in the first 5-6 minutes. Those turnovers helped Penn State jump out to an early lead, but that aforementioned run made up for that.
Michigan only ended up turning the ball over 11 times, but the turnovers kept Penn State in it for the majority of the game.
Not great energy on the boards
Michigan has been pretty dominant on the boards this season, but Penn State had more energy when it came to rebounding. The Nittany Lions grabbed seven offensive rebounds in the first half, six more than the Wolverines. Michigan had its normal bevy of points in the paint, but the Nittany Lions did not back down when a shot went up. The battle on the boards was neck and neck, and Penn State out rebounded Michigan, 43-37.
Hopefully this does not become a trend for the Wolverines, as they have too much size not to win the rebounding battle handily in most games.
Aday Mara is such a good passer
As we’ve seen all season, and especially in the Wake Forest win, Aday Mara has excellent court vision. As loud as those misses were at the free-throw line late, he created a lot of offense to help Michigan win this game.
Mara had four assists in the first half alone, finding teammates for open threes. He’s so good around that free-throw line, creating opportunities for his teammates in a way that most 7-footers don’t. He played limited minutes with foul trouble and Michigan thriving with a smaller lineup, but he continues to add another wrinkle to the offense.
Up Next
Michigan heads home to Crisler Center to host the Wisconsin Badgers (Saturday, 1 p.m. on CBS) before heading to the West Coast next week.
Category: General Sports
