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  • Michigan Plays Lights-Out Late To Beat Bama, Sending The Wolverines To The Elite Eight

Michigan Plays Lights-Out Late To Beat Bama, Sending The Wolverines To The Elite Eight

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Basketball

(BCSNN) — Michigan saved its best basketball for the biggest moments of the second half, and the result was a return to the Elite Eight — and a new program record for wins.

The third‑ranked and top‑seeded Wolverines erased a halftime deficit and surged past No. 18 Alabama 90–77 on Friday night at the United Center, advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2021 and earning their 34th win, the most in school history.

Yaxel Lendeborg delivered another commanding postseason performance, finishing with 23 points and 12 assists for his seventh double‑double of the season. Elliot Cadeau added 17 points, five rebounds and seven assists, while freshmen Trey McKenney and Roddy Gayle Jr. came off the bench to score 17 and 16 points, respectively.

Michigan (34–3) opened the second half with a burst that flipped the game. Lendeborg drilled a three on the first possession, added a floater moments later, and Nimari Burnett’s fast‑break dunk at the 17:04 mark ignited an 8–0 run. Gayle’s three‑pointer off a Cadeau feed pushed the lead to eight, and another 8–0 surge gave the Wolverines their first double‑digit advantage at 67–57 with 13:23 remaining.

From there, Michigan controlled the game. Cadeau found Aday Mara for a lob dunk to end a brief scoring drought, McKenney added two free throws for a 15‑point cushion, and the Wolverines held Alabama (25–10) to just two field goals over an 11‑attempt stretch. Cadeau’s three with 4:09 left kept the lead at 14, and a highlight‑reel pass from Cadeau to Gayle for a dunk sealed the win.

The first half was a back‑and‑forth battle. After falling behind 11–4, Michigan responded with a 9–0 run sparked by Lendeborg. McKenney hit back‑to‑back threes, and Lendeborg’s third triple tied the game at 22. The Wolverines briefly took a 47–42 lead after a 7–0 burst, but Alabama closed the half with eight straight to lead 49–47 at the break.

Michigan’s second‑half dominance erased that deficit quickly — and emphatically.

The Wolverines will face No. 23 Tennessee on Sunday afternoon at 1:15 p.m. CT at the United Center with a trip to the Final Four on the line.