Michigan might have been hoping for a showcase game in Detroit on Tuesday night, but it got a dogfight. The Wolverines had to scrap and claw their way through an overtime win against Wake Forest to move to 2-0 on the season.
The Wolverines led by 13 points at the break, but the game was choppy from the opening tip. Michigan’s best offense was getting fouled; neither team managed a double-digit scoring run, and the Wolverines had to grind their way throughout.
In the second half, things went sideways. Wake Forest outscored Michigan 46-33 and led by 7 points with 4:53 to play before Michigan mustered enough to force overtime thanks to a timely Roddy Gayle Jr. 3-pointer in the final minutes. Michigan outlasted the Demon Deacons in overtime to escape with the 85-84 win.
It was Michigan’s defense that won the game down the stretch. After Wake Forest took a 77-70 lead, Michigan only allowed three made shots in Wake Forest’s final 18 attempts, including a high-arching floater from Nate Calmese that missed at the horn over Aday Mara’s outstretched arms.
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