Nobody on the Michigan basketball team scored more than 17 points, yet the Wolverines still reached the century mark in a 102-50 win over La Salle.
Michigan basketball entered the game as a 39.5-point favorite. You have to play well to cover a spread that massive, and midway through the first half, the Wolverines looked a little sluggish.
With a 20-5 run to open the second half, Michigan was well on its way. The 3-point shooting sealed the deal. Michigan basketball got 14 3-pointers to go down. The defense was incredible, holding the Explorers to 50 points on just 28 percent shooting and 10 percent from deep.
Here are the gut reactions to a ho-hum, 52-point win.
Michigan basketball exceeded expectations
This team doesn't go through the motions. It looked like it was for part of the first half, but Michigan also hasn't played a game for over a week.
The reason you could tell the Wolverines weren't going through the motions was on defense. La Salle couldn't deal with the length and made just 2-of-21 shots from beyond the arc.
Michigan shot 60 percent on 2-point attempts. It allowed more offensive rebounds than you would like for the second straight game (11), but all in all, Michigan didn't just show up. The Wolverines played well and that's a tip of the cap to head coach Dusty May.
3-point shooting is a strength
I've written this probably 10 times this season, but if Michigan basketball makes double-digit 3-pointers in a game, it's hard to see the Wolverines losing.
3-point shooting, along with turnovers, was supposed to be a weakness. Michigan basketball made 14 on Sunday. Elliot Cadeau, Trey McKenney, and L.J. Cason each made three. Will Tschetter made two. McKenney and Cason are really coming into their own, which makes this Michigan basketball team even more dangerous.
Notably, Cadeau was criticized for his shooting with North Carolina. Yet, he was second on the team in 3-point percentage (41 percent) before the La Salle game and went 3-for-5 on Sunday.
The Team is most important
You can tell these guys love playing with each other. The way Michigan celebrated for Howard Eisley Jr. at the end of the game was maybe the most promising thing about the win. These guys are having fun. It's a great culture and without a great culture, it's hard to win a championship.
Consider that box checked, along with many others.