Five takeaways from Michigan’s 85-84 overtime win over Wake Forest

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Before No. 6 Michigan eked out an 85-84 win over Wake Forest in overtime, these five takeaways all could’ve been about 3-point shooting. The Wolverines were horrid from the perimeter against the Demon Deacons but still won, ultimately relying on key defensive stops in the final possessions.

After a strong first half and a rough second half, Michigan pulled itself together down the stretch, winning the first close game of its young season. From 3-point shooting to LJ Cason’s return, here are five takeaways from last night’s win.

Shooting struggles surface

During Monday’s presser, Dusty May acknowledged that Michigan wasn’t going to make 19 threes every game. He probably didn’t expect the Wolverines to miss 21 in their subsequent game.

Michigan couldn’t buy a bucket from deep all night against Wake Forest. Only three Wolverines made a 3-pointer, and only one of those three — surprisingly, junior guard Elliot Cadeau — made more than one. Michigan generated wide-open perimeter looks, but several times the shot wasn’t even close.

“I thought Yaxel generated some really good looks,” May said postgame. “His 3-point shots, I think three or four of them I thought they were going in, and they just didn’t drop.”

The Wolverines’ shooting woes worsened in the second half when they went 1-for-13 from three. The one, however, was a game-changer. Roddy Gayle’s game-tying three from the wing to tie the game at 77-77 was a major moment in Michigan’s win, and a shot that fell when it absolutely needed to.

“It just shows how mentally tough he is,” Cadeau said. “… Just how he can make that big shot for us.”

The silver lining of the Wolverines’ shooting struggles is that they found a way to win despite them. Michigan’s offense lagged when the shots weren’t falling, but a mix of some clutch defensive stops late in overtime and a game-winning free throw nullified the poor shooting for a night.