The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 15 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS 5 YEARS AGO, 2018: Michigan basketball logged a rousing early Big Ten victory over Purdue, 76-57, on Dec. 1, 2018. Jordan Poole scored 21 points to pace the Wolverines, who limited the Boilermakers to a season low in scoring, 26 points below their average. The No. 5 team nationally in the ESPN Coaches Poll ran its record to 8-0, shoot- ing 47 percent, including a red-hot 50 percent (13-for-26) from three-point range. Poole connected on 5 of 10 three- pointers to lead the charge, while Jon Teske scored 17 points, Ignas Brazdei- kis 12 and Zavier Simpson 10. Teske also snagged 8 rebounds and Simpson 6 for the winners. Michigan raced to a 19-9 advantage just six minutes into the game. The Wol- verines expanded their lead to 44-28 at the half, and Simpson's lefty layup pushed the margin to 20, 60-40, at the 14:25 mark. Purdue, at 5-3, never made a serious second-half challenge. Purdue center Matt Haarms conceded his team lost the toughness battle. "I think we need to figure some things out after tonight," he said. "I don't think we should have lost by this much. I feel we got embarrassed tonight. This is not what this Purdue team should be about. I think we got out-toughed. Some guys weren't ready to play tonight — includ- ing me." 10 YEARS AGO, 2013: The men's basketball Wolverines knocked off Stan- ford, 68-65, in the Brooklyn Hoops Holi- day Invitational at the Barclays Center, on Dec. 21, 2013. U-M guard Nik Staus- kas hit a pair of free throws with 7.8 sec- onds remaining to force the Cardinal into a three-point-shooting situation, and Chasson Randle (18 points) couldn't connect. Stauskas paced Michigan with 19 points, with strong backing from Glenn Robinson III (17) and Zak Irvin (12, all on three-pointers). The Wolverines misfired on their first five shots in the contest, and led by only three at halftime, 30-27. But they never surrendered the lead from the 11:19 mark of the first half on. Michigan led by a single point, 39-38, when Irvin nailed a three to trigger a 12-4 second-half run. Spike Albrecht's three gave U-M its biggest lead of the night, 56-46. But the Cardinal chipped away to the final minute, setting up the last- second drama. "It would have been a difficult holiday season here if we had not won that game," coach John Beilein said. "Basically, be- cause it is the same scenario we just went through. We had to make shots. Spike made a great baseline pass to get a layup and Glenn made a great play. It is very hard to stop people in full-court transi- tion without drawing a foul. You combine that and the charge rule, and it's like we're giving baskets. So, we had to find a way to defend that, but at the same time we had just enough scorers." 25 YEARS AGO, 1998: Lloyd Carr's Wolverines planted the flag at the top of the mountain, finishing off an unde- feated, national championship season with a 21-16 Rose Bowl win over Wash- ington State on Jan. 1, 1998. Michigan quarterback Brian Griese fired 3 touchdown passes — 2 to wideout Tai Streets, 1 to tight end Jerame Tuman — to account for all of Michigan's scoring. Michigan's defense came up big when it needed to most, pushing the Wolverines to the perfect 12-0 campaign. The game didn't start well for the Wol- verines. Michigan fell behind 7-0 on a TD toss by WSU's Ryan Leaf, and the Cou- gars drove deep into U-M territory again, threatening to go up 14-0. But Heisman winner Charles Woodson's leaping inter- ception slammed the door shut, and Gri- ese's 53-yard touchdown bomb to Streets sent the teams to the halftime locker room tied 7-7. Washington State drove 99 yards to again grab the lead, but James Hall blocked the extra point attempt, keeping it 13-7. Griese responded with a 58-yard TD rainbow to Streets, giving Michigan a 14-13 lead. The QB's 23-yarder to Tuman then made it 21-13. Washington State pulled back within one score, 21-16, on a 38-yard Rian Lin- dell field goal. But the Wolverines held off WSU's final, frenzied attempt at a score. "You have left a wonderful legacy for every team that ever follows you," Carr told the Wolverines in the locker room afterward. "You just won the national championship." — John Borton THIS MONTH IN MICHIGAN ATHLETICS HISTORY SUSIE SURMA Realtor susie@motusre.com 248.767.5633 Unlock Your H O M E ' S hidden VALUE. Are you curious about the current market value of your home? Wondering how much your property is worth in today's real estate market? Look no further! Our team of expert realtors is here to help you discover the potential value of your home with our FREE, no-obligation Price Evaluation service. Now is STILL a GOOD TIME TO BUY Reach out and ask me why!