DENVER — A year ago Dusty May stressed the vitality of winning in year one. Then he did so 14 times in the Big Ten regular season. Then thrice more to win the Big Ten Tournament. Then on Thursday night, he won again.
For the first time since 2022, the Michigan basketball team was victorious in a March Madness game. May’s restoration of the program continues, as does the Wolverines’ dance, following No. 5 seed Michigan’s (26-9) 68-65 win over No. 12 seed UC San Diego (30-5) in the first round.
It was clear from the onset that the Wolverines were riding the confidence from the conference tournament championship, rather than sinking to the contentment of that accomplishment. Their 10-0 lead at the under-16 timeout gave a cold shoulder to the popularity of picking the Tritons to upset.
Michigan was winning as it had been at its peaks this season. Sure the Wolverines were turning the ball over at an uncomfortable rate against a team known to force them, but shooters were opening up and shots were falling.
Twelve of Michigan’s first 18 points came from behind the arc. In turn UC San Diego adjusted to intercept more passes around the arc, successfully turning the Wolverines over nine times in the first half.
Following suit, Michigan went to the biggest bringers of this season’s success. Junior forward Danny Wolf had the ball in his hands everywhere on the court, and generally his best option was to feed graduate center Vlad Goldin in the post. Together, their combined 14 feet of height combined for 18 points in a half the Wolverines comfortably controlled.
Then despite coming out of the break up 41-27, Michigan chose to reenact another quintessential element of its season. Despite the Triton’s leading score, forward Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, picking up his fourth foul right away — later fouling out with over seven minutes to play — they forced May to use a time out less than three minutes into the period.
UC San Diego brought the game back to single digits and Michigan found itself fittingly in another close game with its season on the line. But it was a similar story on a different stage. The close-game dexterity that put the Wolverines on the precipice of a conference title in late February was alive in March.
The game never looked assured for Michigan, despite never actually conceding the lead and even briefly extending it to 10 twice around the midway point of the half. Goldin picking up his fourth foul before the under-eight timeout didn’t comfort the Wolverines either.
While in a close game was certainly not where Michigan wanted to be, the Wolverines were comfortable.
After losing the lead for the first time all game with under three minutes to play, junior guard Tre Donaldson connected from the deep right wing to regain it. Holding onto that one-point lead until the final 30 seconds, Goldin secured an offensive board and earned a trip to the line to extend it.
And once again, he gave the Wolverines another game — and May another chance to continue his winning ways in year one.
