The Michigan basketball team entered Saturday afternoon game against UNLV with a recurring, frustrating trend. So far this season, if the Wolverines grabbed a sizable lead - instead of putting the opponent away - they relinquished it and let the opposing team back into the game.
It happened against Towson on Nov. 24 as Michigan fought tooth-and-nail in its 75-72 victory. The pattern remained against Detroit last weekend with the Wolverines needing a last-second shot to win.
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| SARA STILLMAN/Daily Robbie Reid, who scored 17 points on six-of-10 shooting from the floor, had his best game of the season, leading Michigan to an 83-59 victory over UNLV on Saturday. |
In the Wolverines' best defensive effort and all-around performance of the season, Michigan (5-1) cruised to a 83-59 victory before the announced crowd of 12,333 at Crisler Arena. It was the Wolverines' fifth consecutive win, heading into tonight's game against Bradley in Peoria, Ill. Michigan plays Eastern Michigan at Crisler on Wednesday night before Saturday's showdown against No. 1 Duke.
Saturday, the Wolverines faced a situation they have seen several times before, gaining a double-digit lead midway into the first half. But Runnin' Rebels point guard Mark Dickel drained a 3-pointer to cut the Wolverines' cushion to nine with over four minutes to go in the half.
The opportunity was there for the Wolverines to stumble and continue the lead-blowing trend. But it didn't happen. Nineteen seconds later, Michigan's Robbie Reid nailed one of his team-high five 3-pointers to push the lead back to 12, a cushion that stayed in double-digits for the remainder of the game.
This time, Michigan held on to the lead as tight as a Latrell Sprewell strangle-hold.
"We got up 10 or 12 points on other teams and then we just kind of figure, 'Well, that's good enough for now,'" Reid said. "We just kind of get lazy. Today, we said, 'This is a good team, but let's put them away. Let's give people something to talk about other than 'they just snuck by' or 'they got a win on a last second shot.'"
Reid was a large factor in the blowout. The junior transfer from Brigham Young, along with Robert Traylor, each contributed 17 points to lead the starters, all of scored in double-digits. Louis Bullock contributed with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Jerod Ward added 13 points and seven boards, and Maceo Baston had 10 points.
Michigan held UNLV (3-2) to 31.5 percent shooting and three-of-22 from beyond the arc. And for the first time this season, the Wolverines had more assists (20) than turnovers (15).
Center Kaspars Kambala and guard Donovan Stewart each scored 15 points for UNLV while forward Tyrone Nesby had 14 points. Kambala also had 12 rebounds.
Down 11-10 at the 13:03 mark, Michigan went on a 15-0 run to give the Wolverines control of the game.
The surge was initiated by Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe's decision to switch up the defenses and play a 3-2 zone.
"We wanted to change our defense," Ellerbe said. "We wanted to give them a few different looks. We knew they were a perimete-oriented team. We have a couple of zones. One is more geared to a low-post opponent and one for an outside-shooting team."
The defensive move thwarted the UNLV offense with Kambala not on the court and led to easier baskets for Michigan and more open looks on the perimeter. Traylor scored six points during that stretch, and when Reid knocked down a trey, the score was 21-11 at 9:36. A soaring, poster-like dunk from Baston off a pretty look from Traylor and two free throws by Ward, and the lead was 14 at the eight-minute mark -a lead that had the Wolverines pumping fists and resulted in the loudest reception from the crowd this season.
"Our basketball team came out with a lot of emotion," Ellerbe said. "Our defensive intensity was very, very good."
The Runnin' Rebels, who defeated Eastern Michigan, 84-66, on Nov. 19, were obviously affected by the zone. For a team that thrives on the fast-paced, running game, UNLV was out of whack. The Rebels only connected on two field-goals in the last 13 minutes of the half.
"It seemed the harder we tried to get something done, the worse things happened," UNLV coach Ben Banyo said. "It just seemed to snowball. We were flat, emotionally."
The Wolverines quickly increased their 41-25 halftime lead to 20 points. Freshman Josh Asselin came off the bench to score eight in the half and seemed to have a hand on every rebound. After a dunk by an energized Asselin, Michigan led, 69-41, at 8:37. The Wolverines' largest lead was 29 with four minutes left in the game. Bullock got hot in the half, draining two 3-pointers. Bullock and Reid combined to go eight-of-17 from the 3-point line.
"I don't think they expected (Robbie and me) to really try to force the tempo back at them," Bullock said. "By us rebounding the ball so well, we were able to get the ball on the go and we were able to find each other."
Reid, who has been struggling this season with his stroke - shooting 32 percent from the field and 26 percent behind the arc heading into yesterday's game - had the touch this time.
"It felt a lot better today," Reid said. "I've been feeling lately that I was due for a game like this."
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| SARA SITILLMAN/Daily Louis Bullock drives to the hoop on his way to two of his 16 points. The junior point guard added five assists in a solid performance.
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