The Michigan Wolverines played lockdown defense on Saturday to take down the Arizona Wildcats 91-73 in the Final Four, despite losing Yaxel Lendeborg for most of the first half due to an injury.
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After just a few minutes of action, Lendeborg left the game with foul trouble. Midway through the first half, he returned for just a few minutes before rolling his ankle and hyper extending his knee. He left the game and didn’t return until the second half.
Despite his absence, the Wolverines were in total control in the opening half. They forced nine Arizona turnovers and held them to just two total assists. Michigan’s offense wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough to build a 16-point halftime advantage.
As the second half began, it was revealed that Lendeborg suffered a mild MCL sprain in his knee and tweaked his ankle. That injury didn’t stop him from raining down threes to start the second half.
Almost immediately, Lendeborg knocked down two threes to open the second frame with momentum. The Wolverines kept their foot on the gas with elite play from both their bigs and their guards.
At the same time, Arizona’s offense continued to struggle mightily. After nine minutes of second-half action, Michigan was ahead by 29 points.
Wildcats stars Koa Peat and Brayden Burries failed to heat up on the offensive end for the entire night. When the dust finally settled, the Wolverines had won by 18 points and secured their spot in the national championship.
Aday Mara led the way with 26 points and nine rebounds on 11-of-16 shooting from the floor. Lendeborg finished with 11 points in 12 minutes while Elliot Cadeau had 13 points and 10 assists.
For Arizona, Peat finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds on 6-of-18 shooting while Jaden Bradley had 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting.
Michigan will now face the UConn Huskies in the winner-takes-all game on Monday.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
