March 15th, 2025

No. 22 Michigan snaps skid with 86-68 win over No. 20 Purdue, advances to Big Ten semis

By Canadian Press on March 14, 2025.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — 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.

Takeaways

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.

Key moment

Michigan opened the second half with a 12-5 spurt to build a 52-41 lead after a Donaldson 3-pointer.

Key stat

Despite Smith being the league leader in assists, Michigan had a 25-11 edge in the category.

Up next

Purdue awaits an NCAA Tournament bid. Michigan faces Maryland in the semifinals on Saturday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on AP Top 25 basketball throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Phillip B. Wilson, The Associated Press








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