Michigan basketball trailed Alabama by two at the half in the Sweet 16 Friday night.
Whether or not the top-seeded Wolverines were going to advance seemed very much in doubt, at least until Yaxel Lendeborg took over early in the second half.
He opened the second half with a 3-pointer, a bucket, a steal, and an assist for another bucket as Michigan roared out of the gates to start the final 20 minutes with a 7-0 run.
The Wolverines then got a triple from Roddy Gayle, thanks to another Yaxel assist, before Lendeborg knocked down a second 3-pointer of the half, followed by another two as Michigan's lead pushed to eight.
Yet, another Lendeborg assist, on a 3-pointer by Elliot Cadeau, put Michigan basketball in front by 13, and from there, the Wolverines never looked back in a 90-77 win. The Crimson Tide didn't get closer than eight points, and Lendeborg delivered a legacy game as Michigan advanced.
Yaxel Lendeborg has a legacy game in Sweet 16 win
"We needed our guy to be our guy and he did it all night."@UMichBball's Dusty May with praise for All-American forward Yaxel Lendeborg | @EvanWashburn pic.twitter.com/ERl10IiTD0
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 28, 2026
The future first-round pick scored 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting. He was 4-for-5 from 3-point range, while grabbing 12 rebounds, dishing out six assists, and nabbing two steals.
Lendeborg was named as one of four finalists for the National Player of the Year award and certainly looked the part on Thursday, on both ends of the floor.
Michigan's offense was better in the second half, but the defense was even more important. The Wolverines stopped going under screens, picked up the on-ball defense, and dominated the boards in the second half.
That, plus Yaxel going off, added up to a 13-point win, even if the Wolverines missed too many free throws. Alabama made 14 3-pointers. Michigan nailed 13. The Tide shot 36 percent compared to 50 percent for the Wolverines, who won the rebounding battle 40-28 (10-8 offensive).
Michigan went off for a patented run and outscored Alabama 43-28 in the second half. The first half is exactly what Alabama wanted, outside of a late run engineered by Trey McKenney and Gayle.
Lendeborg asserted his will in the second half. Cadeau did, too. He finished with 17 points, five rebounds, and seven assists. Trey McKenney (17) and Roddy Gayle (16) added 33 off the bench, while making 6-of-10 3-point shots.
It wasn't the perfect performance, but in the NCAA Tournament, all that matters is the final score. That favored Michigan, which is now halfway to its goal of a national title.
Next up is Iowa State or Tennessee on Sunday at 2:15 PM EST.