Michigan Basketball: 3 takeaways from win over Loyola-Chicago

Michigan basketball punched its ticket to its second NCAA Championship game under John Beilein with a win over Loyola-Chicago. Here’s what we learned.

It wasn’t remotely pretty, but Michigan basketball has moved onto its second NCAA Championship game in five seasons.

Loyola-Chicago made it harder than a lot of people thought. The Ramblers had a seven-point lead at halftime and extended the lead to double digits in the second half, while Michigan’s shooting struggles continued.

In the end, the Wolverines’ superior defense, athleticism and size won out. Moritz Wagner led the charge with a historic performance. After struggling against Florida State in the Elite Eight, Wagner had his best game in a Michigan uniform.

While Zavier Simpson, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Duncan Robinson struggled from the floor all game, Wagner and Charles Matthews lit Loyola up, scoring 41 of Michigan’s 69 points.

These performances were what kept Michigan basketball from being the first team to lose to a double-digit seed in a Final Four game ever. Wagner and Matthews turned an embarrassing upset loss into a double-digit victory and a shot at the championship.

Michigan will have its hands full when it takes on Villanova on Monday. In the meantime, let’s relish some incredible performances.

Here are three takeaways from Michigan basketball’s 69-57 win over Loyola-Chicago.