Michigan basketball was back in action Sunday at home against Minnesota. It was a much anticipated conference matchup, as the Wolverines look to bounce back after their loss to Maryland.

First Half

It was another rough start for the Wolverines, Minnesota got off to a 16-8 lead within the first 9 minutes. The early bright spots on the floor for the Wolverines were Kobe Bufkin and Tarris Reed Jr, each starting off the game with four points each. As a team, they started 3-12 (25%), not a shooting line that they would have liked, but always room for improvement throughout the game.

Within the next eight minutes, Michigan closed the gap, bringing the score to 21-18 with two minutes left in the first half. The team shot 10-for-30 (33%) shooting in the first half, and committed six total turnovers. Bad shooting has been one 0f the main weaknesses of this team, and it continues to haunt them. Hunter Dickinson led with eight points and two rebounds, while Dug McDaniel followed with five points, five rebounds, and two assists. The score was tied at halftime at 23.

Michigan pulls away in the second half 

Michigan continued to struggle with shooting in the second half. Missed layups, bad three point shooting, and first half turnovers all played a part in the reason the Wolverines struggled to get this victory. However, less second half turnovers and great free throw shooting helped propel the Wolverines to victory. Dickinson finished with 23 points and nine rebounds. Bufkin followed with ten points and four rebounds. McDaniel was very solid with ten points, eight rebounds and three assists. Mcdaniel has been very inconsistent this season, and a performance like this helps him develop and gain confidence. Michigan improves to 11-8 on the season and 5-3 in conference play. The Wolverines look to host Purdue on Thursday, with another chance to improve in conference play.