ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Will Tschetter delivered a standout performance with a season-high 17 points, while Danny Wolf contributed significantly by scoring 10 of his 15 points in the opening half. Vladislav Goldin also shone with a second-half surge, adding nine of his 15 points to help No. 24 Michigan fend off Oregon with a scoreline of 80-76 on Wednesday night.
The Wolverines improved their season record to 17-5, now standing at 9-2 in Big Ten play, and have secured three consecutive wins, tying them for second place with No. 9 Michigan State—just behind No. 7 Purdue in the conference standings. The Ducks, on the other hand, have experienced a tough stretch, marking their fourth straight loss and their first losing streak of this magnitude since the 2013-2014 season, bringing their record to 16-7 and 5-7 in the Pac-12.
Jackson Shelstad was the leading scorer for Oregon, finishing the game with 18 points. Accompanying him were Nate Bittle, who added 16 points, Keeshawn Barthelemy with 15 points, and TJ Bamba contributing 13 points.
Wolf’s impressive play was pivotal in turning the game around, orchestrating an 11-0 run during the first half that allowed the Wolverines to stretch their lead to double digits after initially falling behind. Michigan managed to establish a substantial lead of 14 points during the first half but was forced to secure the victory with free throws late in the game as the Ducks attempted a comeback.
A few noteworthy observations from the game include Oregon’s downward spiral after starting the season 13-1, during which they were ranked in the top 10 for three weeks following notable wins against highly-ranked teams like Alabama and Texas A&M. Unfortunately, they have now lost five of their last six games.
On the flip side, Michigan is enjoying a successful home record in Dusty May’s inaugural season, remaining undefeated at home with an impressive 11-0. This spotless record will face its toughest challenge in the next home game against Purdue next week.
One of the game’s defining moments occurred when Wolf propelled Michigan into a lead of over ten points midway through the first half with an impressive step-back jumper.
A key statistic from the matchup showed that the Wolverines dominated in the paint, outscoring the Ducks 36-24.
Both teams are scheduled to compete again on Saturday. Oregon will face No. 9 Michigan State, where Spartans coach Tom Izzo is just one win away from tying former Indiana coach Bob Knight’s record of 353 Big Ten victories. Meanwhile, Michigan will take on Indiana.
