The Michigan Wolverines overcame a sluggish start to secure an 81-71 victory against the Oregon Ducks, moving their overall record to 16-1 and 6-1 in Big Ten play. The Wolverines were led by standout performances from Elliot Cadeau (17 points), Nimari Burnett (15 points), and Aday Mara (12 points). Here’s a breakdown of how the game unfolded.

First Half

Michigan’s offense struggled to find its rhythm in the early stages of the game. However, Cadeau broke the ice with a key basket, followed by back-to-back three-pointers from Burnett and Will Tschetter, giving the Wolverines a 17-9 lead.

Oregon quickly responded, going on a 7-0 run to narrow the gap to 23-21. Burnett kept the momentum going with a three-pointer and a dunk, extending the lead to 28-21 midway through the first half.

Despite this, the Wolverines opened up an 11-point lead before Oregon made a strong comeback. The Ducks played with increased energy and intensity, eventually taking a 41-40 lead into halftime after Wei Lin hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer.

Michigan struggled offensively in the first half, committing nine turnovers and allowing 12 points off those mistakes. Burnett was the top performer for the Wolverines, scoring 10 points at halftime.

Halftime score: Michigan 40, Oregon 41

Second Half

The Wolverines started the second half with renewed focus, as Aday Mara took control of the game. Within the first six minutes of the half, Mara scored seven points, recorded one assist, and blocked a shot, helping the Wolverines build a 56-49 lead.

Mara found Burnett on a backdoor cut for a dunk, regaining the lead, and then went on a seven-point scoring streak, including a left-handed reverse dunk. Later in the half, Mara assisted Morez Johnson Jr. on a dunk, extending the lead to 65-55.

Johnson had been sidelined due to foul trouble in the first half but made a significant impact after halftime. He threw down a put-back dunk to help the Wolverines take a 68-56 lead with 7:57 remaining in the game.

Oregon had a chance to cut the deficit to five points with about five minutes left, but Yaxel Lendeborg blocked a layup. This led to Tschetter hitting a three-pointer, pushing the lead back to double digits.

Although not perfect, Michigan managed to pull through, finishing their West Coast trip with two victories. The Wolverines out-rebounded Oregon (36-30) and dominated in bench points (22-6), blocks (7-4), and assists (15-11).

Final score: Michigan 81, Oregon 71

Michigan Stat Leaders

• G Elliot Cadeau: 17 points, 5 assists
• G Nimari Burnett: 15 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds
• C Aday Mara: 12 points, 3 assists, 3 blocks
• F Morez Johnson Jr: 9 points, 2 rebounds

Oregon Stat Leaders

• F Sean Stewart: 22 points (career-high), 8 rebounds
• F Kwame Evans Jr: 18 points, 7 rebounds
• G Takai Simpkins: 12 points, 2 assists
• G Wei Lin: 11 points, 4 assists

Up Next

Michigan will return home to face the Indiana Hoosiers on Tuesday at 7 p.m. on Peacock.