Outside shooting freezes out Michigan basketball in UConn rematch

Michigan basketball and UConn met head-to-head at TD Garden in a rematch of their national championship game, seven months to the day apart. The Huskies emerged victorious with an 85-77 win, powered by an 18-4 run spanning the end of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half. Michigan's offense struggled throughout the game, connecting on only 41.3% of their field goals and 25% from three-point range.

U-M managed to score just one outside-the-paint shot in the first half until Quinn Costello's corner three with 15:39 left in the period. The game turned in the first half when UConn was called for a loose ball foul and its bench received a technical foul for expressing their displeasure. Trey McKenney missed both free throws, leaving UConn's crowd on its feet.

J.P. Estrella missed his first two attempts before finally sinking one, giving the Wolverines their first make in four tries. U-M and UConn traded baskets before UConn extended their lead to 13 with a 9-0 run in just 2:12. In the second half, U-M trailed by nine or more points until the final 18 seconds, when they cut the deficit to eight.

McKenney, who struggled early, finished with a team-high 22 points, but U-M's bench, including Elliot Cadeau and Moustapha Thiam, couldn't generate enough offense to secure the victory. UConn's Braylon Mullins led the team with 23 points, while Silas Demary Jr. contributed 21 and Colben Landrew added 13. U-M's coach, Mike Boynton Jr., had a disappointing performance, going 2-for-12 from the floor and contributing just eight points.

Braylon Mullins was UConn's top scorer with 23 points, with Silas Demary Jr. and Colben Landrew adding 21 and 13 points, respectively. The game showcased U-M's physicality, with the Wolverines outrebounding UConn 35-33, but it wasn't enough to overcome early struggles and UConn's late rally.