Full recap, box score from Michigan basketball's loss to Arizona
Michigan basketball lost by a score of 80-62 to Arizona in the Roman Main Event in Las Vegas on Sunday night. This dropped their record to 3-2 on the young season with the team’s second loss in three games.
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Senior guard Eli Brooks led Michigan in scoring with 14 points, while sophomore center Hunter Dickinson added 11 points and seven rebounds. The Wolverines shot 43% from the floor, but 1-for-14 from three-point range. They also finished the night with 15 turnovers.
Here is the full recap and box score from Michigan’s effort on Sunday evening.
First half: Arizona 37, Michigan basketball 29
Michigan jumped out to a 6-2 lead before most of the country was switched over to the broadcast on ESPN2. The first three baskets of the game came at the hands of seniors Brandon Johns Jr., Eli Brooks and sophomore big man Hunter Dickinson. However, Arizona would charge back on a 6-0 run and take an 8-6 lead into the under-16 timeout.
Michigan and Arizona would go back and forth throughout the first 10 minutes of play with the game tied at 21-21 with 7:11 to play in the first half. Things would tilt in the Wildcats’ direction after that. Michigan’s offense went through some scoring droughts and went through an entire half of basketball without hitting a three-point attempt (0-for-7). Thankfully, Arizona was not much better with a 2-for-13 mark in the first 20 minutes of play.
Despite both teams’ shooting woes from the perimeter, Arizona would lead by as much as 10 points in the first half. Brooks was able to get the deficit to eight points right before the halftime buzzer as Michigan would go into the locker room down 37-29. Ten first-half turnovers for the Wolverines were a big reason why they went into the locker room facing the deficit, as well as inconsistent offense.
Second half
Michigan basketball was able to trim the deficit to six a few times early in the half thanks to free throws from Dickinson and a jumper from Brooks. However, a poor defensive effort would continue. Arizona scored 16 points in the first four minutes of the half and took a 53-40 lead into the under-16 timeout at 15:46 of the second half. It would only get uglier at the under-12 timeout with the Wildcats pushing their lead to 62-45 with 11:25 to play.
A jump hook from Dickinson helped Michigan trim the lead to 62-47 with 9 minutes to go, but the deficit stayed heavily in favor of the Wildcats. Arizona led by as much as 20 in the second half after taking a 70-50 lead with 5:56 to play.
The Wolverines were able to trim the lead to 16 points at 4:14 remaining in the game after a pair of Brooks free throws. Head coach Juwan Howard would empty the bench with just over two minutes to go. Arizona would leave victorious with a blowout victory.
FINAL: Arizona 80, Michigan 62
Next up for Michigan basketball is a Wednesday night tilt against Tarleton State at Crisler Center at 7 p.m.
Full box score
