TL;DR
- Nimari Burnett's late free throws secured Michigan's 67-63 victory over TCU.
- Michigan dominated rebounds 44-23, despite 22 turnovers.
- Yaxel Lendeborg achieved a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
- Roddy Gayle Jr. contributed six assists, aiding Michigan's win.
Nimari Burnett secured the win with two successful free throws with 18.3 remaining, enabling the sixth-ranked Michigan Wolverines (3-0) to edge out the TCU Horned Frogs (2-2) by a score of 67-63 at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, TX, on Friday evening.
Before sinking those free throws, Burnett hadn't converted any shots from the charity stripe yet this young season, but he performed effortlessly, concluding the Wolverines' victory with eight points.
Turnovers almost became Michigan’s achilles heel as it finished with 22, compared to TCU’s 11.
Even with mistakes, Michigan controlled the rebounds, outscoring TCU 44-23, with Morez Johnson Jr. Leading the team with a game-high 12 boards.
Senior Yaxel Lendeborg finished with his first double-double of the season for the Wolverines with 14 points, on 4-of-6 from the field and 10 rebounds in 29 minutes of action.
Roddy Gayle, Jr., provided a lift for The Wolverines when Elliot Cadeau faced foul difficulties. The senior player, coming off the bench, recorded a game-high six assists in 29 minutes, helping the Wolverines stay competitive while the Horned Frogs held the lead for significant periods in the latter half.
TCU’s main duo of David Punch and Micah Robinson combined for 15 points, on 4-of-14 from the field. Robinson would be plagued by foul trouble throughout the game as the sophomore was limited to 22 minutes and fouled out with 18.3 seconds left in regulation.
Max Duggan, the legendary quarterback who guided TCU to a surprising victory over Michigan in the College Football Playoff national semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl on December 31, 2022, was present at courtside for the event.
The Wolverines will face the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on November 19th, while the Horned Frogs aim to rebound against the Kansas City Roos.
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