Game 2: Michigan vs. UConn Recap

Michigan entered Friday night’s showdown against UConn still searching for its identity. It left the court with a result that you’d expect from a team in that state facing UConn in a packed TD Garden. The hope is that experience will accelerate Michigan’s journey to finding that identity, but November won’t get much easier.

UConn looked like the better team leading up to the game and left no doubt who was better on Friday. The Huskies led for 39 minutes, extending their advantage to 18 points in the second half before a scrappy late Michigan effort cut the final margin to a more respectable 85-77.

There are no trophies for being the best team in the first week of the season, but Friday’s result lays out the work Michigan has to do.

Trey McKenney went scoreless on 7 shot attempts in the first half before bouncing back with 22 in the second. JP Estrella provided 19 points, nine rebounds, and three assists in his second consecutive strong performance, but it wasn’t enough. The Wolverines need McKenney for both halves, not one. They didn’t just need Estrella to play well; they needed Moustapha Thiam, too.

UConn’s best players played better games, and its bench was a class above Michigan’s. The Wolverines got two made baskets from their reserves, UConn had a freshman pro chip in 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes while driving the decisive late first-half run.