LOS ANGELES — Between the combination of students on winter break, a 5 p.m. local news showcasing continued tough Los Angeles traffic and a large contingent of Michigan basketball fans based in Southern California, Saturday’s matchup with USC at the Galen Center arrived with a lower level of hostility than normal for a Big Ten road game.
The Wolverines were happy to take advantage of what felt like Ann Arbor West at times, with “Let’s go, Blue!” sing to “DEFENSE!” rallying cry when the home team was on offense, as Dusty May’s squad completed an 85-74 victory Saturday night to remain undefeated in Big Ten play.
“I said in the locker room it was like a home and away game at the same time,” forward Danny Wolf said. “When we went running, it was “Let’s go, Blue” and then it was noisy when they left.
“So, yeah, a great environment, that’s what the Big Ten is.”
The Wolverines, who spent the night next to the USC Hotel and simply walked two minutes down the road to get through their security entrance, got comfortable to start. They drained their first five 3-pointers to take a nine-point lead, and it felt like a rout might be in sight.
BEFORE THE GAME: Michigan basketball’s Big Ten title quest begins with double dip in Los Angeles; USC first
Instead, the Trojans rallied to make it a one-point game less than five minutes later and neither team led by more than four points the rest of the first half. After the break, it again looked like Michigan was going to pull away as Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin combined for 13 straight to give UM a 15 lead.
The Trojans came back again, this time taking the lead with 7:33 remaining. But UM finally contained the Trojans, with separate streaks of 9-0 and 10-0 in the last eight minutes to win.
“It’s funny because I read a stat today that a team with three 10-0 points in a game has never lost (in about 250 games),” May said. “So we had two streaks and a 9-0 streak? It’s like the last 270 games…I just thought it was interesting if you could have three 10-0 streaks, teams have a record 268-0 or something.”
Five Wolverines scored in double figures, led by 21 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and six blocks from Wolf, 16 points each from Nimari Burnett and Tre Donaldson, 12 from Roddy Gayle Jr. and 11 from Vlad Goldin.
The Wolverines (11-3, 3-0 Big Ten) will stay in Southern California on Sunday and Monday before playing the second of two games against Big Ten members Golden State, taking on UCLA at Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday (10 p.m. , Peacock ).
Hot shot starts it
Donaldson opened the game with a 3 from the right wing, then dribbled his next 3-pointer from the top of the arc.
After Burnett made a deep 3-pointer with time winding down, Wolf hit a step-back from the right wing and Burnett added another 3 – this one from the right corner – to give the lead 15 -6 Michigan in less than four minutes on 5. -for-5 shooting.
UM missed its next four attempts but heated up to make five of its final seven of the half, the last two changing the complexion of the game. USC led by two when UM offered not one, not two, but three loose balls on one possession – one that was knocked across the court by hometown kid Justin Pippen – and ended in a Will Tschetter 3.
After Donaldson forced a turnover on defense, he nailed a transition 3 with no defender in front of him to give UM a 42-38 lead, with the Wolverines making 10 of 17 3s.
Area 51 powers it up at home
After some early turnovers, Michigan forced some USC giveaways to put together a quick 7-0 run.
All three scores came on passes between Wolf and Goldin: first, Goldin found Wolf on a reverse layup out the back door, then Wolf, from the top of the key, found Goldin who completed a layup up left as part of a three-point play. Eventually, Goldin caught an inside pass and sent it to Wolf who finished the layup and forced a Trojan timeout.
The game arrived shortly after.
Wolf picked up a loose ball, threw a no-look pass to Donaldson, who caught it and immediately threw a lob to Goldin for the slam, a 13-0 run (all by Goldin and Wolf) and a lead of 55-40 with 16:02 to play.
Was Wolf’s pass intended for Goldin?
“I thought so,” Goldin said with a laugh. “Usually it’s more direct, but whatever works.”
But the Trojans did not remain quiet.
After a free throw, Saint Thomas made a 3-pointer and Desmond Claude made a layup for a three-point play to get back to eight a few minutes later.
USC’s barrage continued when Goldin picked up his fourth foul with 10:42 remaining; Moments later, Chibuzo Agbo barely had the ball before throwing up a prayer as the shot clock ended. It went, off the glass, into the basket, and soon enough, USC had tied the game at 63 with a 13-2 run in less than three minutes.
“Sometimes there are lucky shots,” Burnett said with a laugh. “I mean, he didn’t know where the rim was, he just picked it up, he just looked at it and threw it and it went in. But that’s what makes good special plays and large-scale environments.”
After the Trojans took their first lead since the first half, UM went on a 9-0 run as Gayle made back-to-back layups and a pair of free throws, Wolf added a free throw and Burnett made a spinning back into a three-point basket. play to go up 73-65 with 5:09 to play.
“I’m working on that,” he said. “Keep the ball low, they rake and try to go up and finish.”
USC got within two on a 6-0 run, thanks to back-to-back UM turnovers, but with 3:12 left, Goldin hit a pair of free throws, Donaldson added a pass floater step and Wolf found Goldin on a one-handed pass inside. as the Wolverines moved away for good.
“We come in here and expect to win two,” Burnett said, quickly turning to the Bruins. “I got one, now it’s time to put it in the rearview mirror, watch a little film on it, then go get ready for UCLA.”
Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on @RealTonyGarcia.
This article was originally published on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball greats lead Wolverines over USC, 85-74
