Michigan basketball found itself trailing by nine points early in the second half. It felt like the Wolverines were ripe for an upset.
If games were 20 minutes and change. They are 40 minutes for a reason, and over the course of 40 minutes, Michigan basketball was just too good for Maryland. Yaxel Lendeborg was too good. So was the 3-point shooting, and ultimately, the defense.
It was a rough defensive performance overall. Maryland shot 58 percent from deep. Some of that was just getting fortunate. Luck is a strong word, but the Terps aren't going to shoot like that every night.
Still, Michigan shot better from deep. Maryland made more triples (14). The Wolverines shot a better percentage (63). Yaxel Lendeborg was 4-for-5 from deep and 8-of-11 overall for 29 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists.
Michigan basketball scored 100 points or more for the fifth time this season, including in both Big Ten games. Here are the gut reactions to the 101-83 win.
Yaxel rose to the occasion
Lendeborg showed why he's worth every penny of whatever he's getting paid. He was dominant on both ends of the floor. He had multiple items in five different stat categories. The 29 points on 11 shots were one thing. He also had nine assists, eight rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. Yaxel was 9-of-9 from the free-throw line.
He had the best plus/minus rating on the floor. He also delivered when Michigan needed a steadying presence, which is exactly what you want.
Michigan is going to get tested
The Wolverines won the game by 18 points, but they were tested. Incredibly, they turned a nine-point deficit into an 18-point win in less than a half. That's how dominant this team can be, but they only controlled the game for a half.
Maryland was on fire from 3-point range. That kept the Terps in the game. The problem is that Michigan's defense, despite allowing 1.19 points per possession, was able to string together stops in the second half.
Maryland wasn't. Michigan scored 56 points in the second half. The Terps scored 33. They had one great offensive half against the Wolverines. Good luck having two, while holding down the Michigan offense, which was elite on Saturday night.
Insane expectations
It feels like the 18-point win was a disappointment. Think about that for a second, when this team won nine games two years ago.
It's crazy how far Michigan basketball has come under Dusty May. Michigan has won its last two games over Maryland and Villanova by an average of 23 points (46 total). That's dominance.
It might not be a 40-point win; however, winning a Big Ten conference road game with ease like that is always impressive, even if it might not meet the insane expectations this team has created for itself in the past few weeks.