Michigan Overcomes Maryland’s Challenge, Remains Unbeaten

The streak of utter dominance is over for No. 2 Michigan, but its streak of winning is well and alive.

Riding an impressive second half, the Wolverines (10-0 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) took down Maryland (6-5, 0-2) by a score of 101-83. While the score may indicate that Michigan coasted through yet another game, the Terrapins put up plenty of resistance.

Graduate forward Yaxel Lendeborg took over, scoring 29 points while amassing nine assists, eight rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. Junior center Aday Mara also had a great night, notching 18 points and two blocks of his own.

Maryland offered the Wolverines the first bit of fight that they'd seen in several weeks. Winning six straight games without much pushback from its opposition, Michigan found itself in an unfamiliarly close matchup in the first half.

First, it was Maryland guard David Coit. He knocked in three straight 3-pointers to open the game, giving Michigan a bit of a gut check. On the other end, the Wolverines were uncharacteristically shaky around the rim, starting the game just 2-for-6 in the paint. They were getting the looks they wanted, but they just weren't converting at the rate that they've become accustomed to.

Still, Michigan never let Maryland get out of sight. Even though the Wolverines struggled to find their rhythm, timely 3-point shooting kept them relatively even with the Terrapins. After Maryland snagged a 22-21 lead with just under 12 minutes to play in the half, Michigan junior forward Aday Mara scored six in a row, enforcing his 7-foot-3 presence with two dunks and showing off his touch on nice a post hook.

The Terrapins responded to 31-25 deficit by opening up a 10-0 run to flip the score to 35-31 with under six minutes left in the period. Coit continued to bury shots, cashing in threes in the step-back and catch-and-shoot varieties. Even after Maryland star forward Pharrel Payne went to the locker room with an injury, Coit's 22-point first half performance sent Michigan to the break down 50-45.

The Wolverines were struggling in the paint — an area in which they are usually rock-solid — and the Terrapins were on fire from deep, shooting 10-for-18 from beyond the arc. Still, Michigan found itself down only five points, a surmountable deficit.

Maryland came out of halftime just as hot as it was in the first half, knocking in two threes in the opening minute, but it wasn't able to shake the Wolverines.

Lendeborg kept Michigan in the game, scoring its first 10 points of the half, including a personal 8-0 run that cooled the Terrapins off. The Wolverines took advantage of Maryland's lull in scoring, clawing its way back into the game.

With just under 15 minutes to play in the game, Mara was being pressured in the right corner. Niftily, he shoveled the ball behind his back to junior guard Elliot Cadeau. Cadeau squared up and knocked through the right-wing three to give the Wolverines their first lead of the second half at 62-60 with 14:42 to play.

From there, Michigan was able to open up a sizable lead. Mara slammed home a few dunks — including a reverse jam without looking at the rim — and L.J. Cason splashed in his second and third 3-pointers off the bench. By the time the under-eight minute timeout came around, the Wolverines had opened up a healthy 84-73 lead.

Maryland was still making tough shots, but Michigan was just making more of them. The Terrapins put up quite a fight, but ultimately they couldn't cope with the size and constant energy of the Wolverines, namely Lendeborg.

It wasn't just Lendeborg's scoring outburst that made him so effective — his peripheral stats were just as important. Racking up nine assists, three blocks, and two steals, he tortured the Terrapins on both sides of the court.

The Wolverines maintained their double-digit cushion for the final eight minutes, slowing the pace and taking care of the ball. The Terrapins, despite their admirable fight, succumbed to Michigan's firepower as the lead continued to open.

As the final buzzer sounded, the Wolverines walked out of college station with their tenth win of the season by a final score of 101-83.