At the Buzzer: Michigan 75, Nebraska 72

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Rapid reaction to Michigan’s 75-72 win over Nebraska.

THE MOMENT

Crisler Center was at its loudest and the score was knotted, 72-72, when Trey McKenney had the best two-play sequence of his young Michigan career.

Immediately after center Aday Mara flailed his arms in an attempt to draw a foul and lost control of the ball, Nebraska blazed down the floor in transition. It was McKenney who timed his gamble perfectly, reaching in and poking the ball away at just the right time to regain possession. Pushing it down the other way, he eventually found the ball back in his hands in the corner.

Pump-faking a three before driving baseline, McKenney took it to the rim and elevated, scoring and giving the Wolverines their first lead in what felt like an eternity. The late layup set up another defensive stop, and Mara’s made free throw one possession later enabled Michigan to escape the Cornhuskers.

THE TAKEAWAY

It was another Michigan game where the team didn’t put together great performances on both sides of the ball — this time, the Wolverines’ offense, save for that final shot, sputtered down the stretch.

In contrast to the first half, Michigan dug deep and generated defensive stops when Nebraska seemed poised to break away, but would follow them up with a turnover or a hurried offensive possession. Several times in the game’s final ten minutes, errant passes and missed shots stalled the Wolverines’ chances at a comeback.

Michigan forced stop after stop on defense, and eventually made a shot down the stretch to eke out a win. But those makes came after many minutes of uncoordinated, miscommunicated decisions from the Wolverines.

THE STAR

Morez Johnson Jr. was Michigan’s most productive player on offense and defense in the win. The sophomore forward didn’t miss a shot in the first half and even drained a 3-pointer in his 28 minutes, recording 17 points, 12 rebounds and zero fouls.

Johnson was one of several Wolverines who could just put his head down on offense and take his defender to the rim, and he did so with success in the first half. He also got to the line at a higher clip than any other Michigan player. The Wolverines started the game with a heightened defensive effort, and even when they started to fall apart on switches, Johnson was rarely the culprit.

Forward Yaxel Lendeborg and center Aday Mara never really found their groove on Tuesday, and Johnson made the most of the shots he had.

THE STAT

Michigan scored just four points — two free throws and a layup — in the first eight minutes of the second half. It was a measly offensive output that paled in comparison to a relatively efficient offensive first half, in which the Wolverines scored 1.34 PPP, shooting 89% on twos and 39% from deep.

Michigan didn’t just miss shots in that span, it also turned the ball over six times. After a mini-run toward the end of the first half to keep things close, the Wolverines’ energy seemed to dissipate.

Luckily for Michigan, it figured out ways to score in the final minutes that made up for the early drought. Nevertheless, a near-scoreless stretch coming out of halftime exposed the Wolverines against a capable defense.

FOUR FACTORS