ANN ARBOR, Mich. – In a decisive matchup on Thursday evening, Roddy Gayle Jr. led Michigan to a commanding 72-49 win over Tarleton State.
Gayle was impressive, making 6 of his 7 attempts from the field, including his sole 3-point shot, and converting 3 of 4 free throws. He contributed significantly with four assists and three rebounds, helping the Wolverines improve their record to 4-1.
Supporting Gayle, Tre Donaldson and bench player Sam Walters each added 13 points. Donaldson also provided five assists, while Walters was efficient, hitting 3 of 6 from long range. Vladislav Goldin was another key contributor, scoring 12 points.
For the Texans, Bubu Benjamin had a standout performance with 15 points, hitting 5 of 7 from beyond the arc. Ronnie Harrison also made an impact, contributing 14 points.
The first half saw Gayle with 11 points, while Walters came off the bench to contribute eight points, shooting two successful 3-pointers. The Wolverines were able to establish a 40-30 lead by halftime, with Benjamin scoring 12 to help keep the Texans competitive.
Michigan started strong, quickly scoring the first six points of the game. However, Tarleton briefly took the lead at 24-23 after a dunk from Harrison with 6:54 remaining in the first half. Michigan responded with a 6-0 run, featuring back-to-back layups from Walters and Donaldson, followed by Gayle’s free throws, regaining the lead for good.
The second half began with a 10-0 run by Michigan, initiated by a couple of free throws and a layup from Donaldson, allowing them to take control of the game moving forward.
Next up, Michigan will face Virginia Tech as part of the Fort Myers Tip-Off event on Monday.