Michigan basketball didn’t have its best shooting night on Tuesday at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. The No. 23 Wolverines hit just seven of their 33 shots from the floor and only managed to make two of their 16 three-point attempts. Despite those struggles, they managed to hang in there against No. 11 Wisconsin, trailing by just six points at halftime in their Big Ten opener.
In the second half, Michigan’s big guys, Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf, took charge. Over the first eight minutes of the half, they scored 15 points together, matching Michigan’s total from the entire first half. Their efforts helped the Wolverines claw back to tie the game with 12:04 left on the clock.
From then on, it was a tight battle. Michigan finally took the lead for good when Goldin made a layup with just 1:34 to play. The Wolverines hung on to secure a dramatic 67-64 win, giving first-year head coach Dusty May his first Big Ten victory.
Wolf and Goldin were unstoppable for Michigan. Wolf, a transfer from Yale, put up an impressive all-around performance with 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists, five blocks, and three steals. Goldin, who transferred from Florida Atlantic, led the team with 24 points, adding five rebounds and three blocks. No other Wolverine reached double figures, but Roddy Gayle Jr. came close with nine points, along with six rebounds and five assists.
The game had a tense finish. Wisconsin’s Max Klesmit hit a tough jumper to give the Badgers a 64-61 lead with 2:37 remaining. But after that, they couldn’t score again. Goldin took over, scoring three straight baskets to push Michigan ahead, 67-64, with just 22.9 seconds left.
Klesmit missed a three-pointer, and although Gayle Jr. missed a free throw, Wisconsin couldn’t take advantage. Nolan Winter also missed a key free throw for the Badgers with just 3.2 seconds to go, and Goldin missed another free throw with less than a second left. Wisconsin’s John Tonje launched a desperate shot from beyond half-court at the buzzer, but it clanged off the rim, sealing Michigan’s win.
Early on, it was a grind for both teams. Wolf led Michigan in the first half with nine points and six rebounds, while Goldin added seven points despite struggling to hit his shots. Other Wolverines had a rough time, with players like Tre Donaldson, Roddy Gayle Jr., and Nimari Burnett combining for just one made shot in the first half.
Wisconsin didn’t fare much better. They went more than seven and a half minutes without a field goal until Steven Crowl finally scored to give them a 23-20 lead. The Badgers came into the game averaging over 85 points per game but only managed 32 in the first half.
Turnovers, a season-long issue for Michigan, weren’t much of a problem this time. The Wolverines only gave the ball away six times in the first half and stayed competitive by outrebounding Wisconsin 27-24.
Next, Michigan (7-1, 1-0 Big Ten) will host Iowa on Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, Wisconsin (8-1, 0-1) will face their in-state rivals, No. 4 Marquette, in Milwaukee before heading to Illinois later in December.
