Wolverines Upend Arkansas for Beilein's 100th Win at U-M
Behind double-digit scoring performances from all five starters, the University of Michigan men's basketball team defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks, 80-67, Saturday at Crisler Center to give head coach John Beilein his 100th win at Michigan.
The Wolverines saw their lead cut to just one point midway through the second half, but outscored the Razorbacks, 26-14, in the final nine minutes to pull away with the victory and remain undefeated on the season at 9-0. It's the best Michigan start since the 1988-89 season.
Freshman guard Glenn Robinson III (St. John, Ind./Lake Central) led the way with 17 points, while sophomore guard Trey Burke (Columbus, Ohio/Northland HS) tallied 16 with seven assists and junior guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (Miami, Fla./Palmetto Senior) recorded 14 points with nine rebounds.
Redshirt junior forward Jordan Morgan (Detroit, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit) garnered his second double-double of the season, compiling 12 points and 10 boards, while freshman guard Nik Stauskas (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada/St. Mark's School [Mass.]) put up 12 points.
The Wolverines dominated the paint, both outscoring (42-26) and outrebounding (42-26) the Razorbacks.
Burke started the game strong for Michigan, knocking down a contested three-pointer on the first possession. The Razorbacks fought to keep the game within three points, but midway through the first half, Robinson took a fast-break pass from Hardaway for a slam-dunk to fuel an 8-0 Michigan run. The Wolverines maintained their double-digit lead for the remainder of the half, taking a 42-32 advantage into the locker room.
Michigan led by as many as 13 points in the first period of play, outshooting Arkansas, 52 percent (15-of-29) to 41 percent (13-of-32) and outrebounding the Razorbacks, 21-12.
Early in the second half, Arkansas cut the Michigan lead to five points before freshman forward Mitch McGary (Chesterton, Ind./Brewster Academy [N.H.]) tipped in a missed short range attempt for the Wolverines' first field goal of the period at the 15:37 mark. Two minutes later, the Razorbacks cut the Michigan lead down to just two points, but Hardaway knocked down a three-pointer and then drew a charge on the ensuing Arkansas possession to reclaim momentum for the Wolverines.
With less than 10 minutes to go, the Razorbacks pulled within one point of Michigan, 54-53. However, a Morgan offensive rebound and put-back followed by a three-pointer from Stauskas helped the Wolverines maintain their slight advantage. Michigan then extended its lead to as many as 17 -- its largest of the game -- while outscoring Arkansas, 26-14, in the final nine minutes to preserve the thirteen point victory.