At the Buzzer: Michigan 90, Michigan State 80

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Rapid reaction to Michigan’s 90-80 win versus Michigan State. 

THE MOMENT

Trey McKenney was wide open in the corner and Michigan was clinging to a one-possession lead when the ball left his hands.

McKenney hadn’t had the hottest night so far, but he drained the 3-pointer when it mattered, putting the Wolverines up 66-61. Then, a few possessions later, he set his feet and splashed another one, this time from 31 feet.

Those two buckets from McKenney capped a 13-2 run, and gave Michigan that second-half jolt it was looking for. With the biggest shots of the night, the freshman guard from Flint made his in-state rivalry experience a memorable one.

THE TAKEAWAY

Michigan made it through the adversity that was to be expected from one of the biggest rivalries in college basketball to pull this one out.

That’s not to say the Wolverines entirely avoided some of their own shenanigans, or even that the lack of flow and rhythm in Sunday’s win was completely one-sided. There were plenty of lapses from Michigan, and both of the Wolverines’ bigs getting into early foul trouble certainly didn’t help.

But Michigan was always the more talented team, and eventually that showed itself. The Wolverines simply have an abundance of options; without junior center Aday Mara and sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr., graduate forward Yaxel Lendeborg and senior guard Roddy Gayle stepped up. And after those aforementioned big men returned in the second half, their impact was immediate.

Michigan found its stride late in the second half, and it didn’t even feel like the Wolverines did much differently. When any two of Lendeborg, Johnson or Mara were on the floor, the matchup was permanently tilted in Michigan’s favor.

Throw in the big-shot potential from several others on Michigan’s lineup, and the Wolverines’ case for postseason success grows even stronger.

THE STAR

Yaxel Lendeborg tends to elevate his game when everyone’s watching, and he took that to another level on Sunday.

On Michigan’s senior night, the final game of the regular season and this year’s second installment of the Wolverines’ rivalry matchup, the graduate forward played nearly every minute, scored 27 points, and went 5-for-6 from three.

He was pretty much all of Michigan’s offense early, and when the Wolverines’ two bigs got into foul trouble late in the first half, the weight on Lendeborg’s shoulders only grew. He made another three, turning to flex for Michigan’s bench, and drove to the basket more, drawing fouls and dropping Michigan State’s Coen Carr to the ground for a highlight-reel play.

Perhaps his biggest play in the first half came when it was nearly over, maneuvering through the paint and kicking it out to graduate guard Nimari Burnett in the corner for a lead-taking 3-pointer.

His role changed somewhat in the second half, but his impact remained. He made two more threes, stuffed Carr around the rim, and made a driving, one-handed dunk look way too easy.

If there were any questions about Lendeborg, a transfer from UAB, ‘buying into’ or ‘understanding’ a storied rivalry like Michigan-Michigan State, both of his performances against the Spartans should clear things up.

THE STAT

It’s not the most eye-popping of stats, but Michigan’s 10 3-pointers made a big difference. In a game where the Wolverines played far from perfect, and all types of fouls made for a clunky rhythm early on, Michigan’s shot-making served as a separator.

Michigan has had its fair share of games this season where it felt like if the Wolverines only made a few more from deep, the game wouldn’t have played nearly as close and the score would have looked a whole lot different. Sunday was one where Michigan’s ability to convert from beyond the arc kept it in the game, and so many of the Wolverines’ makes came in big moments.

Lendeborg had five 3-pointers on his own, and both McKenney and Burnett had two.

FOUR FACTORS