Dusty May on finding ways to win amid team’s shooting struggles

Michigan men’s basketball won yet another nail biter Sunday, this time on the road against Ohio State. It marked the third game in a row the Wolverines won by three points or less. They started the year as one of the most efficient shooting teams in the country, but as of late, they’ve had to rely on other areas in crunch time.

Michigan head coach Dusty May on overcoming shooting decline

Michigan shot 48.5 percent from the field against Ohio State, but from behind the arc it shot 7-of-21 (33%). The Wolverines were outscored in the second half, but head coach Dusty May said they were prepared.

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“When we don’t make shots we can still find a way to win, and that’s been our message all year,” May said at a press conference Monday. “… We felt like we got great looks (against Ohio State) and we didn’t shoot it that well, and they were shots we would take every single day of the week.

“Our message has been that when the shots go in, that just determines the margin of victory, (and) we can separate. But the nights the shots aren’t falling, then we have to find ways to win, whether it’s through our defense, through our rebounding (or) whatever the case.”

The headliners from the win were Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin, as both Michigan big-men posted a double-double. Aside from the seven-footers putting on a show, the role players in the maize and blue also did their part. The Wolverines bench won the scoring battle 22-9, including nine points and eight rebounds from former Buckeye Roddy Gayle Jr.

“… Last night our bench stepped up,” May said. “And then obviously down the stretch, Danny made plays and Roddy made plays and Vlad came up with a couple huge offensive rebounds. In this league, you’re going to have to find different ways to win. 

“Hopefully we get back to where we’re banging in shots at a higher clip, but if we don’t then we still feel very confident we’re going to find a way. We just don’t know what way that might be yet.”

Michigan went through a tough stretch in December, playing Arkansas and No. 14 Oklahoma back-to-back on national TV. Since then, the Wolverines are 12-2. May said the road his team has traveled is paying dividends. 

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“We played a challenging schedule early when we were still trying to figure ourselves out, and they didn’t go well,” May said. “… We didn’t drop our heads, we didn’t point fingers, we didn’t place blame, we all just came together to try to find the solution to get better and win those games going forward.

“That experience, but more importantly the character in our locker room is the biggest reason (we can win close games).”

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