Wolverine Spirit: The Heartbeat of University of Michigan Athletics

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The men’s basketball squad from the University of Michigan executed two 10-0 runs late in the second half, prevailing over USC 85-74 on Saturday evening (Jan. 4) at the Galen Center.

Leaders and Best

Danny Wolf topped all players with a double-double of 21 points and 13 rebounds, in addition to seven assists and six blocks. Nimari Burnett and Tre Donaldson both contributed 16 points, while Roddy Gayle Jr. added 12 points, and Vladislav Goldin scored 11 points.

The Turning Point

Following a series of exchanged baskets for most of the second half, Goldin’s two free throws at the three-minute mark ignited a 12-3 run by Michigan to conclude the match. Four of the five starters from U-M played a key role in the run, shooting a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor.

Second Half

Michigan (11-3, 3-0 Big Ten) initiated the half with a 13-0 run, reaching its largest lead of the contest (15 points) at 16:03. USC (9-5, 1-2 Big Ten) responded with seven straight points and, two minutes later, launched a second 7-0 run, narrowing the margin to four, 61-57, with 11:32 remaining.

A four-minute scoring drought for the Wolverines allowed USC to take a 65-63 advantage at the 7:33 mark. With five minutes left in regulation, USC’s 11 fouls put Michigan in the double-bonus early, leading to a 10-0 U-M run that established an eight-point lead, 73-65. After three consecutive baskets by USC, the Wolverines sealed the victory with another 10-0 surge to bring the score to 83-71.

Michigan went 0-for-8 from beyond the arc in the second half but markedly outscored the Trojans 32-12 in the paint. Overall, Michigan shot 52.7 percent from three-point range (29-of-55) while scoring 38 points in the paint.

First Half

Michigan commenced the game with an impressive 5-for-5 from three-point territory, establishing a 15-6 lead just four minutes in. USC fought back, capitalizing on three turnovers from U-M to tie the game and take its first lead, 20-19, with 9:35 left on the clock.

The Wolverines and Trojans exchanged points in the final 10 minutes of the half, resulting in 10 lead changes before halftime. Despite USC finishing the half shooting 4-for-5 from the field, a 6-0 run from Michigan provided a 42-38 lead at the break. The final points of the half came from Donaldson, who hit his career-high fourth three-pointer without a miss.

Michigan had a shooting percentage of 62.5 (10-for-16) from deep, contrasted with USC’s 16.7 percent (1-for-6). U-M netted 10 three-pointers against only three two-point field goals in the first half.

What’s Next

Michigan will travel across the city to face No. 15-ranked UCLA at Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday (Jan. 7). The tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST, and the game will be streamed live on Peacock.

Notes

• Tonight’s match signified the beginning of Michigan’s first journey to the West Coast to compete against USC and UCLA as conference rivals.

• Michigan has now made 10 or more three-pointers in three consecutive games and eight times overall this season.

• Donaldson’s 16 points marked his 11th game of double figures, leading the team.

• Burnett’s 16 points registered his third consecutive double-digit scoring game. He has concluded four of his last five games in double digits, totaling six such performances.

• Wolf achieved a season-best 21 points, with his six blocks representing the highest by a Michigan player since 2008.

• Goldin reached double figures for the eighth straight match.