Michigan basketball entered its matchup against Toledo in the National Invitational Tournament opener with a focus on the 3-point line.
The Rockets were the second-best 3-point shooting team in the nation (39.7%) and the Wolverines’ ability to limit them from deep was key. But U-M flipped the script with one of its best shooting performances of the season.
Michigan opened the second half with three straight 3-pointers, part of a 13-2 run where all five starters scored, and rode the momentum to a 90-80 win in its NIT opener over Toledo on Tuesday.
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U-M went 13-for-23 (56.5%) on 3-pointers, led by Joey Baker (5-for-7) started in place of guard Jett Howard who was ruled out shortly before tip-off with an ankle injury and had a new Michigan-best 21 points.
Michigan guard Dug McDaniel (0) makes a pass against Toledo during the first half of the first round of the NIT at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, March 14, 2023.
Kobe Bufkin had a team-high 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Hunter Dickinson added 19 points and nine rebounds, Dug McDaniel finished with 16 points and eight assists as he made four long balls of his own.
Michigan advances to the second round and will play the winner of No. 2-seed Vanderbilt and Yale. If Vanderbilt wins, U-M will play in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday or Sunday, if Yale wins, the Bulldogs will visit Crisler Center.
Toledo, the fourth-ranked scoring offense in the nation (85.6 points per game), got a team-high 19 points from Setric Millner Jr., while JT Shumate added 18 points and seven rebounds, Ra’Heim Moss added 15 and RayJ Dennis scored 13 points with eight assists.
Closing out strong
Baker, McDaniel and Bufkin all started with 3-pointers to turn a two-point deficit into a 49-42 lead with less than two minutes into the half.
Michigan guard Joey Baker (15) makes…
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Author : Detroit Free Press
Publish date : 2023-03-15 01:10:31
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