Michigan basketball hangs on to beat UC San Diego in first round of NCAA Tournament

USA Today

21-03-2025

Michigan basketball hangs on to beat UC San Diego in first round of NCAA Tournament
After a three-year hiatus from the NCAA Tournament, Michigan basketball made its triumphant return to March Madness. But as the 5-seed against 11-seed UC San Diego -- a popular upset pick -- would the Wolverines themselves be triumphant?
The maize and blue took to the hardwood in Denver, just four days after winning the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game against Wisconsin. And though Thursday's opening foray to the postseason didn't yield a ton of unexpected outcomes (though 12-seed McNeese State beat 5-seed Clemson), there's still little room for error -- especially given the Tritons' penchant for causing turnovers, Michigan's Achilles heel.
But the Wolverines are riding high after a three-game winning streak which resulted in a banner. How would they fare in the opening game of the tourney?
First half
It started out about as well as it could for the maize and blue. It was UCSD that was turnover-heavy in the opening minutes, as the Wolverines jumped out to a 10-0 lead at the under-16 media timeout. The defense came up strong, with two steals and a block, forcing the Tritons into four early turnovers compared to Michigan's two.
Finally, with 14:55 to go in the first half, UC San Diego got on the board and it was 10-2, Wolverines.
Michigan's hot start would give way to a scoring drought and the 50% shooting decreased to 36.4%. Two more turnovers didn't help as the maize and blue evened things out with the Tritons with five turnovers a piece. After a three-minute impasse offensively, Roddy Gayle Jr. continued his hot postseason play, draining a 3 off an inbounds pass to put Michigan up 13-4.
Two more quick turnovers led to four UCSD points, and the Michigan lead was just five. The Wolverines scored quickly after, with Will Tschetter hitting a layup, and the under-12 timeout saw the maize and blue up, 15-8.
After another turnover, this time from Nimari Burnett, he made up for it by hitting his second 3 of the game to push the lead back to 10 for the Wolverines. Danny Wolf got involved, going nearly coast-to-coast to add another two. UC San Diego was on a two-plus minute scoring drought while Michigan was on a 7-0 run.
More turnovers abound, but Michigan's defense mostly held, surrendering just two points in the ensuing minutes until the Tritons hit a 3 to cut the deficit to nine. But Tre Donaldson answered right back with a 3 of his own. At the under-eight timeout, Michigan led 25-15.
Again, Michigan turned the ball over and UCSD capitalized to cut it to eight. Then the two teams started trading baskets as the Tritons were four of their last five. But starting UC San Diego guard Justin Rochelin found himself in early foul trouble, getting his third with 5:24 remaining in the first half, putting Roddy Gayle to the line -- and he hit the front end but not the back. Aniwanina Tait-Jones went to the stripe and did the reverse before freshman LJ Cason pushed the lead back to 10 with a layup. It was 32-22 Michigan at the under-four timeout.
The teams still trading and Michigan up 11 with the ability to extend, both Wolverine big men attempted deep shots and missed, and Wolf was fouled getting the rebound. He missed the front end and UC San Diego got the ball back but missed its opportunity. Vlad Goldin got his seventh and eighth points to put the Wolverines up 13. In the waning seconds of the half, Gayle got his second foul and the Tritons took advantage, hitting both shots from the free throw line. But a series of near miscues at the end of the half ended up with Goldin getting a layup and getting the and-one. Michigan went into the locker room up 14, 41-27.
In the first half, Michigan outshot UCSD, 53% to 34% and hit five 3s to the Tritons' two. Both teams struggled from the free-throw line, as well. Michigan turned the ball over nine times to UCSD's six, but the Wolverines had six more rebounds, helping the maize and blue get to that point where they were up 14. The maize and blue also had a 12-2 bench point advantage with Gayle, Cason, and Tschetter accounting for the extra production.
Second half
Michigan's length presented a lot of problems for the Tritons but the Wolverines missed out on their first possession with Vlad Goldin missing a jumper near the top of the key. An offensive foul on UCSD led to more of the same -- Goldin missing again, but he was fouled by Tait-Jones, and he hit one of two free throws to put Michigan up 15. But Goldin turned the ball over on the rebound and fouled Nordin Kapic on a made shot, giving the Tritons an and-one. Goldin got yet another foul, this one on Tyler McGhie, who cut the Michigan lead to 10. The Wolverines continued to struggle offensively while the Tritons rolled, and on the heels of a 9-0 run, it was just a six-point lead.
The Wolverines quickly turned the ball over coming out of a timeout and UCSD capitalized with a 3 to cut it to three. Tre Donaldson returned the favor to push the lead back to six but feeling hot, Kapic hit another 3 and then the maize and blue turned it over for the 12th time to give the Tritons a chance to tie the game and erase the 15-point deficit entirely. It was a 15-3 run for UC San Diego at the under-16 timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, both teams traded missed shots, and Michigan's potential saving grace was a shooting foul on McGhie -- though Cason missed both shots. Starting Tritons guard Hayden Gray capitalized with a layup on the other end, and Michigan's lead was now just one. Finally, sent back to the free throw line, Will Tschetter hit both attempts, ending the scoring impasse for the maize and blue.
Both teams traded missed 3-point attempts, but the Tritons got multiple attempts by hitting the offensive boards. Going the other way, Michigan benefited from a second UC San Diego player (Howell) getting his fourth foul (Tait-Jones being the other), and this time Cason hit both free throw attempts to put Michigan up by five. Still, the Wolverines hadn't scored from the floor in four minutes.
Wolf came back into the lineup and quickly got a layup to put the Wolverines up by seven. But on the other end, Goldin got his third foul to put the Tritons on the line after the under-12 timeout. Michigan still led, 51-44.
The teams traded for a moment, but then Rubin Jones hit his first 3 to push Michigan's lead back up to 10. Up just seven, Tschetter also hit a 3 to push the Wolverines up 10. But Kapic hit two free throws after Goldin got his fourth foul at the under-eight timeout, and then Hayden Gray dropped a 3 to cut the lead back to five. The good news for the maize and blue came moments later when the Tritons' best player, Tait-Jones, fouled out with just under seven minutes remaining in the game.
The Wolverines had a few opportunities as UCSD kept fouling and putting Michigan to the line, but Gayle missed one and Donaldson missed one, as well. Up five, Michigan surrendered a shot from the top of the key to McGhie to dwindle the lead to just three with under four minutes remaining. The Wolverines had gone three minutes without scoring a field goal.
Then, the Wolverines faltered as feared, as UC San Diego guard McGhie (he had 23 points) hit a 3 to tie the game with 3:03 remaining in the game. Rochelin got his fourth foul, and Michigan missed the free throw, so the Tritons had a chance to take their first lead of the game -- which they did with 2:27 left. Tre Donaldson, however, answered with a clutch 3 to put the Wolverines up by one with 2:13 left.
Neither team could sink a shot for the next minute but Michigan got a handful of offensive and defensive rebounds to retain the one-point lead. With 42 seconds left and the ball, Dusty May called a timeout to settle his team down.
The Wolverines missed their attempt by Roddy Gayle coming out of the timeout, but Rochelin fouled out, sending Goldin to the line -- where he made both shots to put Michigan up by three. UCSD missed its 3-point attempt on the other end and the maize and blue hung on to win, 68-65.
What's next?
The Wolverines will play 4-seed Texas A&M on Saturday in Denver.