Michigan took a 13-point lead over Wake Forest into the halftime locker room and it looked like the Wolverines were going to run away with things in Detroit, but the Demon Deacons had other plans.
Dusty May’s crew played pretty poorly in the second half allowing Wake Forest not only to claw back into the game, but to build a 7-point lead with just about four minutes remaining in the game. Luckily for May and Co. his Wolverines found some resilience too, forced overtime and ultimately came away with a 1-point win over a scrappy Wake Forest squad.
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A few Wolverines played pretty well, but a couple of key guys didn’t have their best stuff tonight. Because of that, particularly in the second half, the game almost turned into a disappointing loss. Head coach Dusty May certainly didn’t love the second half, but he did credit his guys for not letting it slip all the way away.
“For us to find a way to win is just a compliment to our guys and their ability to just stay the course when the game got ugly,” May said.
However it looked, Michigan got a W and these three guys are the main reason why.
Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) on X
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Yaxel Lendeborg didn’t have his best game against Wake Forest, but luckily Mara did. The 7-3, 255-pounder finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, five blocks and a steal. To say he stuffed the stat sheet is an understatement.
Not only was he extremely productive in terms of his numbers, he was extremely and very obvioulsy impactful on both ends of the floor. He was a complete difference maker as a paint protection on defense and as an inside threat on offense. He blocked five shots but probably altered 15-20 and on offense he was a focal point whether he had the ball or not.
When he wasn’t on the floor, Michigan looked like a team that was going to lose. When he was on the floor, he Wake Forest didn’t have an answer. His performance was something to be excited about, but also something to be wary of should he find foul trouble or God forbid, an injury at some point this year.
Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) on X
Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) on X Elliot Cadeau made it happen 😤 @umichbball 📺: FS1
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Earlier this year, both before and after Michigan’s exhibition games, Dusty May talked about how valuable Cadeau could be if he rebounds well. Because of Cadeau’s ball handling, speed and passing ability, if he rebounds, he can immediately push the pace and turn Michigan into an elite fast break team.
Against Wake Forest, Cadeau had eight boards and seven assists and did a phenomenal job running the break on several occasions. He finished with 17 points to go along with his impressive rebound and assist totals. He did turn the ball over five times, but overall, he was solid and made plays when the team needed him to.
Michigan Men’s Basketball (@umichbball) on X
Michigan Men’s Basketball (@umichbball) on X We’re tied at 77 with 1:44 left.
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Gayle played 29 minutes off the bench and did what he does — defended well, rebounded tough and finished at the rim over and through contact on more than one occasion. He also hit a massive three-pointer to tie the game at 77 with under two minutes to play.
He finished with 13 points and three rebounds and was one of just three Wolverines to shoot at least 50% from the floor.
Michigan probably can’t count on Gayle to be one of its top scorers on a consistent basis, but when he scores more than starters Nimari Burnett and Yaxel Lendeborg combined, and the Wolverines still win, chalk that up as a very fortunate outcome.
