DETROIT — Tre Donaldson delivered an impressive performance with 16 points and six rebounds, guiding the No. 24 Michigan Wolverines to a commanding 89-58 win over Purdue-Fort Wayne at the Crisler Center on Sunday.
Michigan (9-3) quickly established dominance, building a 20-point advantage in less than 15 minutes and extending their lead to 30 just a minute into the second half. Alongside Donaldson, Vladislav Goldin contributed 13 points, while the Wolverines showcased balanced scoring with five players finishing in double figures. Danny Wolf supported the team with four points, 13 rebounds, and five assists.
On the other side, Jalen Jackson stood out for the Mastodons (9-5), leading all players with 27 points. However, he lacked support, as no other teammate surpassed six points in the scoring department.
Injury notes for the Mastodons featured forward Eric Mulder, who had an excellent 83.7% shooting rate (46-55) on 2-pointers before exiting the game late in the first half due to an ankle injury after making his only attempt.
For Michigan, it was a much-needed bounce back as they had struggled with a 1-2 record in their previous three matches, each decided by narrow margins. Following an 85-83 win against Iowa on December 7, they experienced close losses against Arkansas (89-87) and No. 14 Oklahoma (87-86).
The turning point came early in the game when Michigan surged to a 23-4 lead within the first eight minutes, demonstrating their offensive prowess with eight different players scoring and hitting nine of their first 11 shots. Meanwhile, Purdue-Fort Wayne struggled significantly, hitting only 2 of 12 attempts (16.7%). Coach Dusty May of Michigan effectively rotated his lineup, utilizing 10 players to maintain momentum with scoring runs of 7-0 and 13-0.
In a noteworthy statistical highlight, Michigan excelled from beyond the arc, shooting an impressive 75% (9-12) on 3-pointers during the first half, contrasting sharply with Purdue-Fort Wayne’s dismal 2-17 (11.8%). Sam Walters missed two of his four attempts, but his teammates collectively managed to convert 7 of 8. Both Quinton Morton-Richardson (1-7) and Rasheed Bello (0-3) faced difficulties, with total shooting percentages of just 10% from the 3-point range and 7.7% overall in the first half.
Looking forward, both squads will resume play on December 29. The Mastodons are scheduled for a Horizon League matchup against Green Bay, while Michigan will host Western Kentucky.