The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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16 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2021 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS FIVE YEARS AGO, 2016: Michi- gan basketball trailed with less than two minutes to play, but pulled out a 53-50 win over Texas at Crisler Center Dec. 6. Michigan led by 10 points in the first half, but saw that advantage evaporate over the first 18 min- utes of the second. The Wolverines needed the artistry of big man Moe Wagner, who scored 15 points while recording five rebounds, two assists, a pair of steals and a crucial block on Texas' final possession. The block protected a one-point Michigan lead at the time. It also de- flected the ball to Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, whom Texas fouled. Abdur-Rahkman then made a pair of free throws to close out the scoring. "I thought he was terrific," Texas head coach Shaka Smart said of Wagner, when asked about him after the game. "I thought he was the best player on the floor tonight." 10 YEARS AGO, 2011: Michigan basketball opened Big Ten play with a home victory over Penn State, taking down the Nittany Lions, 71-53, Dec. 29. Tim Hardaway Jr. tore up the visitors, pouring in a game-high 26 points. Trey Burke added 13 for the Wolverines, along with seven assists, while Evan Smotrycz tallied 10. Penn State's Tim Frazier scored 20, the only Nittany Lion to reach double figures. The Wolverines settled this one largely in the opening 20 minutes, forcing nine first-half turnovers by Penn State. That helped them take a 36-22 lead into intermission. Hardaway scored six straight points to open the second half, stretching the lead to 42-24. Penn State never got closer than 16 the rest of the way, al- lowing Michigan to open 1-0 in league play. "I was just ball-faking and they were going for it," Hardaway noted. "I was just getting into the paint like Coach Val [assistant coach LaVall Jordan] tells us. I was just making plays for my team." 25 YEARS AGO, 1996: U-M head coach Steve Fisher's Wolverines came out of the early season gate hot in 1996, taking down No. 10 Duke, 62-61, at Cameron Indoor Stadium Dec. 8. Robert Traylor's dunk with 6.2 sec- onds remaining gave the Wolverines the massive road victory. The thun- derous slam by the 300-pound Traylor delivered only the second non-confer- ence home defeat to the Blue Devils in 105 games, harkening all the way back to 1983. Michigan actually trailed with 10:37 remaining, 58-46, but put on a stirring comeback, especially ramping up its defense. The Wolverines forced eight Duke turnovers over the final 10 min- utes, shutting out the Blue Devils over the last 6:29 of the contest. Traylor paced Michigan with 15 points, including seven in the final 5:22. Fisher noted the win was an important move forward for the Wolverines. "We are trying to get rid of the old Fab Five talk," Fisher said. "I love the Fab Five to death. That's why I'm here. But this is not the Fab Five. This is a new era, a new group of guys. "They are establishing a little bit of what they want to be viewed as and how they want to be viewed." — John Borton THIS MONTH IN MICHIGAN ATHLETICS HISTORY Robert Traylor threw down a thunderous dunk with 6.2 seconds left to give Michigan a 62-61 victory at Duke in 1996, which was only the Blue Devils' second defeat in their last 105 non-conference home contests dating back to 1983. PHOTO BY PER KJLEDSEN