Michigan squanders big lead early, chances late in wild, narrow loss to Arkansas

James Hawkins, The Detroit News on Dec 10, 2024

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NEW YORK — Michigan had a chance to back up its massive jump into the national rankings at the mecca of basketball.

Instead, the No. 14 Wolverines had cold water thrown on their hot streak in a wild game at Madison Square Garden that came down to the final possession.

After letting a 15-point first-half lead slip away, Michigan couldn’t complete a second-half comeback from an 18-point deficit and missed a potential tying shot at the buzzer in an 89-87 loss to Arkansas Tuesday in the Jimmy V Classic.

Vlad Goldin had 17 points to lead five double-digit scorers for Michigan (8-2), which shot 57.6% from the field but had 17 turnovers. Danny Wolf added 14 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, while Roddy Gayle Jr. had 13 points and missed the potential tying shot on the final play.

After Michigan led by as much as 15 points, a rough close to the first half and a bad start to the second half wiped out that advantage. A combination of turnovers, lackluster defensive rebounding and a 12-0 burst by Arkansas led to Michigan trailing, 57-49, roughly four minutes out of the break.

Michigan snapped the run when Wolf found Goldin for a rim-rattling dunk while being fouled. Goldin made the free throw to convert the three-point play, but it did little to stem the tide.

Another Michigan turnover on an outlet pass was followed by a defensive possession where the Wolverines gave up another offensive rebound. That led to a second-chance 3-pointer by Boogie Fland and a 62-52 lead for Arkansas with 14:42 to go.

Michigan struggled to string together stops and shot as the deficit grew. A 3-pointer by D.J. Wagner preceded an offensive foul on a screen by Will Tschetter (13 points) that the Razorbacks took offense to. That led to a shove and bump on both sides and offsetting technical fouls on Tschetter and Wagner.

After that play, Michigan gave up another offensive rebound and another second chance 3-pointer on Arkansas’ ensuing possession, as the deficit widened to 78-60 midway through the half.

The Wolverines didn’t fold and roared back with a 16-2 run to cut it to single digits. Danny Wolf keyed a string of 12 unanswered points with a three-point play and a tip-in off a missed free throw before he shot-faked on a 3-pointer and found Goldin for an open dunk.

Michigan kept clawing and finding success at the rim. A driving layup by Wolf was followed by a Gayle dunk to pull within 82-78 with 3:59 remaining.

The Wolverines eventually made it a one-possession game when Gayle made one free throw and missed the second, but Wolf came away with the offensive rebound and scored at the rim to make it 88-87 at the 1:28 mark.

Michigan had three chances to take the lead in the final minute but came up empty each time. After getting a defensive stop, Tre Donaldson turned the ball over by stepping on the baseline. Then after Arkansas’ Trevon Brazile missed two free throws, Goldin had his hook shot blocked in the paint.

Brazile split two free throws to make it a two-point game with 14 seconds left. Coming out of a timeout with 3.7 seconds, Michigan’s final possession ended with Gayle missing a tough mid-range jumper as time expired.

Fland had 20 points and Wagner 16 to lead five double-digit scorers for Arkansas (8-2), which shot 50% from the field and scored 21 points off turnovers.

The first half featured plenty of offense, with stretches of hot shooting and runs by both teams.

Wolf and Nimari Burnett (# points) got the ball rolling for Michigan. Wolf orchestrated the offense and dished out assists to Vlad Goldin for a pair of dunks. Burnett had eight early points, including a jumper late in the shot clock and a deep 3-pointer. Wolf backed down a defender and hit a fallaway jumper to make it 16-10 with 11:39 left in the first half.

The Wolverines created more separation during a seven-minute stretch where they made 11 consecutive shots and Tschetter stole the show. Tschetter made his first four field goals, including three 3-pointers, and scored eight straight during a 10-0 burst for Michigan.

Tschetter put the finishing touches on his dazzling display – he poured in 13 points in less than three minutes – with a bucket at the rim to make it 31-16 at the 8:31 mark.

But it was all Arkansas from that point on, as the Razorbacks swung back with stretch where it made 12 of 15 shots to get right back into the game. Fland had two three-point plays during an 11-3 spurt that cut the deficit in half. After freshman Justin Pippen hit a 3-pointer to put Michigan back up by double digits, 42-32, at the 3:51 mark, Arkansas countered with a 13-4 run to make it a one-point game.

By the time halftime arrived, Michigan took a 49-45 lead into the break thanks to a late 3-pointer by Sam Walters that capped a half where the Wolverines shot 61.3% and the Razorbacks shot 51.5% from the field.

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