Michigan blows past Purdue with 86-68 win, advances to Big Ten semis
Danny Wolf had 18 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, and No. 22 Michigan snapped a three-game losing streak with a 86-68 win over No. 20 Purdue Friday in a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal.
The second-seeded Wolverines (23-9) allowed the game's initial six points, then led for the final 37 minutes in an impressive bounce-back win to advance to a semifinal against No. 11 Maryland (25-7) on Saturday.
Eight Michigan players scored at least six points. Vladislav Goldin added 15 points and eight rebounds. Tre Donaldson had 13 points and Roddy Gayle Jr. scored 11.
Trey Kaufman-Renn led sixth-seeded Purdue (22-11) with 24 points and nine rebounds. Big Ten player of the year Braden Smith, who averaged 24 points and 8.5 assists in two regular-season meetings vs. Michigan, finished with 12 points on 5-of-18 shooting, 2 of 10 from 3-point range. He had six assists.
Purdue: The Boilermakers have a strong 1-2 offensive punch in Kaufman-Renn and Smith, but NCAA Tournament survival likely hinges on the supporting cast, which is capable but often inconsistent.
Michigan: A much-needed confidence boost for the Wolverines after a lackluster regular-season finish. When this team shares the ball (25 assists) and limits turnovers (six), it's a tough out.
Michigan opened the second half with a 12-5 spurt to build a 52-41 lead after a Donaldson 3-pointer.
Despite Smith being the league leader in assists, Michigan had a 25-11 edge in the category.
Purdue awaits an NCAA Tournament bid. Michigan faces Maryland in the semifinals on Saturday.
