No. 24 Michigan basketball’s 80-76 win over Oregon ‘wasn’t pretty’

ANN ARBOR — No. 24 Michigan men’s basketball (17-5, 9-2 Big Ten) found a way to close out a 80-76 win over Oregon Wednesday night. The Wolverines led for over 32 minutes of game-time, but the Ducks seemed to stay within a couple possessions throughout the game. Oregon (17-5, 9-2 Big Ten) fell to seventh in the conference, while the maize and blue are now tied with No. 9 Michigan State for second behind No. 7 Purdue.

Michigan basketball downs Oregon 80-76 despite turnovers

The Wolverines went without a basket for the first three minutes of the game. Will Tschetter subbed in with 14:06 left in the first half and Michigan down 7-5. He was in for less than five minutes, but he gave the Crisler Center a spark to last the rest of the game. Tschetter scored or assisted on 11 of the next 16 points for his team, and suddenly they were up 21-16.

“… I was excited to coach the human Will Tschetter more than the basketball player from what I had heard from the previous staff and the people here at Michigan,” head coach Dusty May said after the game. “Very happy for him to have the type of efficient game that he had tonight.

“He’s helped us win so many games this year, and I don’t know if I’ve ever been around a better teammate, maybe some that are as good. It’s nice to see him rewarded for the work he puts in. His consistency and his approach are impressive.”

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Tschetter led the Wolverines with 17 points (6-of-9 field goals), and it also marked a season-high for the forward.

After a period of time battling an illness, center Vlad Goldin seemed to be back in form. The seven-footer recorded 15 points, six rebounds and two blocks to go with one assist and steal. Goldin was his typical efficient-self, putting in 6-of-7 shots from the field. He said he’s back to full strength.

“(I am) 100 percent (better),” Goldin said. “This (game) I ran down-and-back and I’m still alive. Games before I ran down-and-back and I was (out of breath).”

Michigan ended the game 1-for-9 from the field, but it also held Oregon scoreless for the final three minutes of the contest. The Wolverines were up by as much as 14 close to midway through the second half, and similar to many games this season, they let their lead trickle down with turnovers.

The Wolverines ended the game with 15 giveaways, ten of which came in the second half. May said Oregon was playing like it had nothing to lose.

“We get loose when we have a lead, and it’s been that way all year,” May said. “It causes the other team to go on runs. I thought Oregon made some uncharacteristic mistakes tonight. Maybe it was a result of two teams competing at a high level. I thought they played desperate – obviously they’d traveled far and been on a tough stretch – but I thought they played to win.

“I thought our guys played with great intensity and effort. It wasn’t pretty (or) anywhere (near) where it’s going to need to be to win the championships we’re trying to win, but I do think we competed and fought at a championship level tonight.”

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Forward Danny Wolf posted 15 points and 12 boards, marking his tenth double-double of the season. Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad was a problem for the Wolverines, as he put up a game-high 18 points. Three other ducks also scored in double-figures: Nate Bittle (16), Keeshawn Barthelemy (15) and TJ Bamba (13).

Michigan is back in action on Feb. 8 on the road against Indiana at 1 p.m. on FOX.

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