Deep-shooting Michigan basketball blows past Western Kentucky

Posted by Admin December 30, 2024 Basketball

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Ann Arbor — The first game after Christmas break has been a pitfall for the Wolverines in recent seasons.

Not this year. Not this time.

Michigan broke that trend and nearly broke a single-game program record for made 3-pointers in a 112-64 blowout win over Western Kentucky in Sunday’s nonconference finale at Crisler Center.

BOX SCORE: Michigan 112, Western Kentucky 64

Nimari Burnett had 17 points and led the 3-point barrage with a career-high five made 3s for Michigan (10-3), which tied the single-game record with 19 made 3-pointers.

Vlad Goldin (17 points), Sam Walters (13 points), Tre Donaldson (12 points), Danny Wolf (12 points), Roddy Gayle Jr. (11 points) and Justin Pippen all made two deep balls, as Michigan finished 19-for-40 from beyond the arc.

The Wolverines were without guard Rubin Jones, who exited last weekend’s win over Purdue Fort Wayne with a left knee injury, but plenty of others picked up the slack. Nine Michigan players scored at least seven points and made at least one 3-pointer.

In fact, all Michigan did was score its most points (59) and make its most 3-pointers (11) in a half this season to bury Western Kentucky in a 28-point hole by halftime. And the Wolverines didn’t let up.

Burnett kicked off the second half with his third 3-pointer. Goldin connected on his second deep ball, marking the first time in his career he’s made multiple 3s in a game and pushed his career total to three.

Wolf tied Michigan’s season high for made 3-pointers with 14 — matching its output in the Nov. 18 win over Miami (Ohio) — at the 16:11 mark. Walters set a new season high a minute later, as Michigan’s lead swelled to 75-39.

The Wolverines continued to close in on the single-game record of 19 that was set on Dec. 13, 2016, in a win over Central Arkansas. Burnett splashed two more 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to make it 17, tying the program’s second-highest total and marking the third time it’s happened.

Walters broke that tie midway through the second half. Wolf delivered Michigan’s 19th 3-pointer and tied the program record with 6:05 to go, capping a 9-0 burst that gave the Wolverines a 50-point lead.

Michigan, though, couldn’t break the record as it emptied its bench in the final minutes and the Wolverines missed its final three 3-point attempts.

Don McHenry scored 18 for Western Kentucky (9-4), which shot. 36.4% from the field and trailed by double digits over the final 32 minutes.

After embarrassing losses to McNeese State, Central Michigan and UCF in the nonconference finale the past three seasons, the Wolverines never came close to letting that happen again.

Michigan got off to a hot start and dialed it in from deep, with four starters hitting a 3-pointer in the opening minutes. That proved to be a sign of things to come.

Gayle made a defender fall and swished a 3-pointer. Goldin pinned a layup attempt on one end and drained his second career 3-pointer on the other end. Michigan raced out to a double-digit lead less than three minutes into the game and extended it to 16-4 at the 16:17 mark when Donaldson drained a 3-pointer.

The Hilltoppers cut the deficit to four before Wolf found Burnett open in the corner for his second deep ball. That sparked a 10-2 spurt where Will Tschetter canned a long-range shot, as the Wolverines regained a double-digit advantage for good at 28-16.

As more and more Wolverines joined the 3-point party, the lead continued to grow. Freshman L.J. Cason drained a step-back 3-pointer to cap a 9-0 burst. Pippen followed with two deep balls in a 31-second span. Gayle connected on another deep ball during a string of 10 unanswered points.

By the time halftime arrived, seven Wolverines combined to make 11 3-pointers — tied for the team’s second-most in a game all season — as Michigan took a commanding 59-31 lead into the break.

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

@jamesbhawkins