| Detroit Free Press
Michigan basketball was determined to bounce back after his first loss of the season.
And the Wolverines did it decisively.
UM beat Maryland relatively comfortably 87-63 on Tuesday night, a few days after suffering its first defeat in Minnesota on Saturday.
Michigan led at halftime with 17 thanks to excellent 3-point shooting. The Wolverines made their first five tries – three from point guard Mike Smith and two from forward Isaiah Livers – and shot 8 of 14 in the first half alone. They finished 12 of 23 from three points.
Livers scored a game-high 20 points on 5 or 8 shots. Franz Wagner added 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting.
Shoot wins the day
The Wolverines led the way all the way thanks to their outside shooting. They hit five catch-and-shoot 3s in the first 5:44, which opened up a 17-3 lead over the Terrapins, and later added 3s from Chaundee Brown, Brandon Johns and Wagner before halftime. UM’s offense could not produce too much open appearance near the edge – the Wolverines shot just 6 of 15 on 2s in the first half, far below their season average, but the 3s made it up easily.
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Meanwhile, Maryland missed a series of open 3s, especially during a piece when Michigan played a series with just one starter. The Terrapins made 2 of 10 3s in the first half and only 5 of 10 free throws; It is important that they missed the front of two 1-and-1 opportunities by the end of the first half. They would finish the game just 4 of 19 from three points.
Dickinson sees more doubles
Hunter Dickinson, first-year center in Michigan, is only going to see more double teams as the season continues. Teams seem determined not to let him pass. Dickinson scored a career-high 28 points against Minnesota on January 6; The Gophers sent hard double teams ten days later, holding him to nine points and forcing five times. Dickinson scored on 10 of 11 26 points against Maryland in Michigan’s win on New Year’s Eve, and Tuesday night the Terrapins responded by sending help when Dickinson received the ball in the mail.
How did the first-year center respond? Although he scored only three points, it was a significantly cleaner performance. UM’s first three-pointer from Smith comes as a result of a pass from Dickinson’s double team. For the most part, the Wolverines were able to get quality shots when Maryland Dickinson doubled. He also had just one turnover in the first half, when he and Livers had a wrong communication: Dickinson passed the ball back to Livers through the 3-point line when Livers started to cut into the paint, bringing a turnover to resulted. While Dickinson did not pass with ease as in the first game against Maryland, he still had a positive impact on offense.
It was very much the same on the other side of the court. Dickinson missed Maryland’s first possession of the game and a few possessions later blocked a shot to violate a shot clock. He blocked three shots in the first half and provided adequate skin protection.
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Smith finds score
The Michigan point guard carried a heavy load against Minnesota as Eli Brooks missed the game with a strained right foot. Smith played 37 minutes and did not leave the field until the end of the second half when the game was out of reach, scoring 10 shots at three times, but he scored no points.
He will not be pointless against Maryland again. Smith finishes with 11 points and adds six assistants at just one turnover. He was assertive on offense and did not pass openings, making three early tries to help Michigan establish his early lead, and also drawing in the transition. The transfer was a key part of Wolverines’ attack this season and struck the right balance between points and passes in Tuesday’s win.
Contact Orion Sang at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @orion_sang. Read more about the Michigan Wolverines and sign up for our Wolverines newsletter.