The Michigan basketball team had a rollercoaster ride in Charlotte, coming close to leaving as champions but ultimately settling for a heart-wrenching loss. In a game filled with ups and downs, the Wolverines showed their mettle but ultimately fell short.

Michigan's Basketball Battle in the Jumpman Invitational

Winning in the Paint Early

At the outset, it was evident that Oklahoma had no answer for Michigan's front court. After the Sooners took an early lead, the dynamic duo of Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf went on a 9-0 run. Goldin hit three buckets in the paint, with Danny Wolf adding a deep 3-pointer in between. However, Michigan's lead didn't widen significantly as they struggled with long-range shooting, making just 2 of 14 attempts while Oklahoma went 6 of 12 from beyond the arc. Despite OU's shooting keeping the game close, they went cold near the end of the first half, going 5:59 without a bucket. That streak ended when Luke Northweather got a layup on a defensive breakdown with 10 seconds left, sending Michigan into the break with a 43-38 lead. Wolf and Goldin had 27 points on 11 of 15 shooting, while the rest of the team had 16 points and made 6 of 19 shots. Michigan had a 28-12 advantage in the paint, a 22-16 edge on the glass, and importantly, just six turnovers. "We did a nice job early getting them both involved," said coach Dusty May to ESPN's Myron Medcalf. "Then we settled for too many threes when we were doing a great job at the rim."

Michigan Can't Survive Ice-Cold Shooting

Michigan's lead didn't last long as Oklahoma tied things up at 43 with consecutive buckets. But Goldin found Wolf on a handoff to regain the lead, and Roddy Gayle Jr. went on a tear. After being fouled and having his shot called goaltending, Gayle made both free throws and then scored another bucket on the next trip, going on a 7-0 spurt. Meanwhile, Oklahoma missed six consecutive shots and turned the ball over three times. After a Donaldson layup, Michigan had an 11-0 run and a 54-43 lead with 15:13 to play. Oklahoma responded with an 8-2 run as Michigan's shooting from outside continued to be ice-cold, going 2 of 21 on the night with 10 straight misses. Goldin got back in the action with a tough left-handed layup. After a pair of flagrant foul free throws by OU, Nimari Burnett made a pair of free throws, Rubin Jones made a 3 from the left side, and Donaldson forced a Porter Moser timeout after a crossover and layup, capping a 7-0 spurt and putting U-M back up double digits, 68-57. But Oklahoma responded with a 12-3 run in less than three minutes to get back within two points. Though Wolf found Goldin on a pick-and-roll for a spinning layup, the Sooners punched back. Fears and Miles hit consecutive long balls, and Moser's team added a quick 9-0 run in 1:29 to take the lead. Down by four with three minutes to play, Michigan scored six straight as Burnett sandwiched a pair of free throws and a layup around a Goldin bucket to take the lead, 84-82. After OU split free throws, Goldin got a key offensive rebound and made two from the line to go up three with 1:14 to play. Wolf came away with a steal on defense with 58 seconds to play, but Gayle turned the ball over with 3 seconds left, allowing the Sooners another chance, which led to Fears' game-winning play.

Final Thoughts

This game was a testament to Michigan's ability to compete but also their struggles with shooting consistency. Despite leading for most of the game, they couldn't make enough stops down the stretch. Vladislav Goldin had a career-high 26 points and 10 rebounds, Danny Wolf added 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Roddy Gayle scored 15. Fears scored a game-high 30 points for the Sooners. Michigan now has just two games remaining against Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne (Dec. 22) and Western Kentucky (Dec. 29) before league play begins in the new year. They will need to learn from this experience and improve their shooting and defensive efforts to be more successful in the future.