NCAA News Wire

Michigan 73, Tennessee 71

Alan Draper profile picture
Sports Editor
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INDIANAPOLIS — The team that made it out of the First Four will not be going to the Final Four.

Shooting 55.1 percent from the field, No. 2 Michigan put four players in double figures and ended the surprising NCAA Tournament run of 11th-seeded Tennessee on Friday night with a 73-71 Midwest Regional semifinal win at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Center Jordan Morgan scored 15 points for the Wolverines (28-8), who will play eighth-seeded Kentucky or No. 4 seed Louisville on Sunday for the regional title. Guard Nik Stauskas scored 14 points, forward Glenn Robinson III added 13 and guard Caris LeVert had 10 points, all in the first half.

Guard Jordan McRae bagged a game-high 24 points for the Volunteers (24-13), although he made just 6-of-11 free throws. Guard Josh Richardson contributed 19 points and forward Jarnell Stokes was good for 11 points.

Tennessee won three games last week in five days, surviving overtime with Iowa in the First Four before routing Massachusetts and Mercer in second- and third-round games. But it trailed in the last 30 minutes and fell behind by as many as 15 points with 10:55 left before mounting a late comeback.

McRae scored 13 points in the last 11 minutes as the Volunteers steadily chopped away at a 60-45 deficit. Richardson’s tough runner in the lane with 24.6 seconds remaining sliced the Michigan advantage to 72-69.

McRae converted a turnover into a transition layup with 10.8 seconds on the clock to make it a one-point game. After LeVert stepped out of bounds catching the inbounds pass with 9.6 seconds remaining, Tennessee had a chance to take the lead.

But Stokes committed an offensive foul, charging over Morgan on a drive down the left baseline with 6.0 seconds left. Stauskas made the front end of a one-and-one with 2.1 seconds left and missed the second, but all the Volunteers could get was a 55-footer by McRae that was not close as time expired.

In what was billed as a matchup of Tennessee’s strength against Michigan’s 3-point shooting, the Wolverines carried the first half by sinking 7-of-9 from outside the arc.

By hitting from deep, Michigan got driving lanes from the Volunteers defense and took advantage with a spate of layups and dunks. The Wolverines averaged 1.452 points on 31 first-half possessions.

Tennessee sank 50 percent of its shots from the field but could not establish its post game early. Stokes scored just four points on five shots from the floor in 19 minutes and forward Jeronne Maymon drew two quick fouls and went scoreless in six minutes.

NOTES: Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin played with Glenn Robinson, the father of Michigan F Glenn Robinson III, at Purdue from 1991 to 1994. … Robinson III, injured Wolverines C Mitch McGary and Volunteers G Jordan McRae all participated in the LeBron James Skills Academy last summer in Las Vegas. … Tennessee is one of only five teams in Division I to rank in the top 20 nationally in offensive and defensive efficiency, joining Florida, Louisville, Virginia and Wichita State.

Alan is an expert gambling writer who works as one of the chief editors for Basketball Insiders. He has been covering online gambling and sports betting for over 8 years, having written for the likes of Sportlens, Compare.bet, The Sports Daily, 90min, and TopRatedCasinos.co.uk. His particular specialisms include US online casinos and gambling regulations, and soccer and basketball betting. Based in London, Alan holds an MA in English Literature and is a passionate supporter of Chelsea FC.

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