ANN ARBOR, Michigan − Against Minnesota last Saturday, the 7th ranked Michigan Wolverines struggled to find their shooting rhythm. On Tuesday, they shook off those struggles right away as guard Mike Smith drained his first three-point attempt.
And then he hit from deep again. And then again.
Smith and the Wolverines (12-1, 7-1 in Big Ten) drained their first 5 three-point attempts as they jumped out to a 15-point lead and never looked back; they dominated the Maryland Terrapins (8-7, 2-6 in Big Ten), 87-63, as they led from start to finish.
The Wolverines were lights-out shooting from behind-the-arc, shooting 50% on three-pointers as a team. Using an all-around effort, 6 different Wolverines hit at least one three-point shot. Senior forward Isaiah Livers led the way, scoring 20 points and hit 4 threes on 5 attempts. Also playing well was sophomore forward Franz Wagner, who added 15 points and 6 rebounds.
The Wolverines were able to bounce back from their first loss of the season their last time out; their victory pushes them back into sole possession of 1st place in the Big Ten. In contrast, Maryland drops to 12th after losing their first Big Ten Matchup since January 10.
Wolverines use all-around effort as Dickinson draws the focus of Maryland’s defense
After an impressive start to his Big Ten career, freshman center Hunter Dickinson has become the focal point for opposing defenses. In their first matchup with Maryland, Dickinson scored 26 points on 10-11 shooting. Maryland came out determined to take him out of the game this time, sending an extra defender at him any time he caught the ball in the post.
In response, the Wolverines turned to a variety of different options on the offensive end to extend their lead. Graduate-transfer guard Mike Smith provided 11 points on 3-5 shooting from three. Coming off the bench, junior forward Brandon Johns Jr. had a major impact as well. He finished with 11 points on 4-6 shooting from the field.
A total of 10 Wolverines got on the scoreboard, with 4 reaching double-figures.
Strong defensive effort keeps Maryland guessing
After a successful debut season for the Wolverines, head coach Juwan Howard and assistant coach Phil Martelli took it upon themselves to strengthen what was one of their only weaknesses last year. The Wolverines finished 19-12, but ranked 11th in the Big Ten in points against per game and 5th in blocked shots.
The extra work has paid-off; the Wolverines now have one of the most feared defenses in the Big Ten. Coming into the game against Maryland, the Wolverines ranked 2nd in the Big Ten in points against and 1st in blocks.
Continuing that dominance Tuesday, the Wolverines held Maryland to 41% shooting, blocked 5 shots and came away with 6 steals in another dominant defensive performance.
Dickinson was the leader on defense, finishing the game with 3 blocks and a steal. All of the Wolverines’ starters had at least one steal as they took Maryland completely out-of-sync on offense.
The defense has been critical as Michigan has been able to open up big leads all season. All but one of their victories were by double-digits.
Up Next
Michigan vs. Purdue, Friday, January 22, 7 PM ET, FOX SPORTS 1
Maryland vs. Minnesota, Saturday, January 23, 2 PM ET, Big Ten Network
