Game 14: Michigan at Purdue Recap

News broke two hours before tip that Sasha Stefanovic would miss Friday night’s game due to a positive COVID-19 test. The Wolverines knew there was a coronavirus situation at Purdue, but they didn’t learn who would miss the game until it was announced.

Despite the uncertainty, sudden change, and having to decide if they wanted to play, Michigan didn’t miss a beat. The Wolverines swarmed Purdue from the opening jump and walked out of Mackey Arena with a hard-fought but thoroughly convincing 70-53 win.

Purdue isn’t the most skilled team in the Big Ten, isn’t the most experienced and isn’t the best on offense or defense but it is definitely one of the toughest. The Boilermakers played as physical as any team Michigan has faced this year, but Juwan Howard’s group was up to the challenge. They met the intensity, battled through a road whistle, and made enough shots to hold onto a comfortable double-digit lead for the final 26 minutes of the game for a wire-to-wire win.