FORT WORTH, Texas — With double-doubles from the frontcourt duo of Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg, the sixth-ranked University of Michigan men’s basketball team’s second-half rally secured a 67-63 victory over TCU on Friday night (Nov. 14) at the Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena.
Leaders and Best
Lendeborg led the U-M attack with his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 4-for-6 from the field. Johnson added his second double-double with 10 points and 12 boards with two blocks. Off the bench Trey McKenney scored 11 with two key three-pointers, while. Roddy Gayle Jr. added 10 points and six assists for the Wolverines.
Second Half
Despite four quick points from Nimari Burnett to jump-start the Wolverines’ second half, TCU (2-1) maintained its grip on the lead. As the Horned Frogs’ pressure continued to disrupt U-M’s offense, they pushed the margin back to six, 49–43, following another long-range basket. The Wolverines (3-0) chipped away at the deficit and pulled within two, 49–47, at the under-eight media timeout.
A Lendeborg putback and an and-one conversion by McKenney helped the Maize and Blue reclaim the lead, 52–51. After a defensive rebound sparked a fast break, Johnson’s layup extended the margin to 54–51, prompting a TCU timeout.
McKenney added a second triple during U-M’s surge, helping the Wolverines take a four-point edge, 57-53, into the final media break. The frontcourt duo of Lendeborg and Johnson — with Johnson securing a double-double — continued to anchor the Wolverines, keeping U-M in front by as many as four with under two minutes remaining.
After using its final timeout, TCU responded with a 5–0 run to pull within two, 63-61, with under 30 seconds left. Following a Burnett steal with 18 seconds remaining, he was fouled and headed to the line with a chance to help seal the game. Knocking down both free throws, U-M closed the game with a 67-63 victory.
First Half
TCU’s smaller lineup and disruptive pace forced four early U-M turnovers and led to a 16-8 lead as the Wolverines endured a five-minute scoring drought. A 5-0 burst from Lendeborg and a transition three from Elliot Cadeau fueled a 10-0 Michigan run that briefly swung the lead, but TCU responded with an and-one to reclaim control.
The teams traded punches throughout the final minutes, with U-M twice pulling within one, only for the Horned Frogs to counter each time — including a Jayden Pierre three that stretched the edge to 35-31. L.J. Cason‘s late layup cut the deficit to 35-33 as the Wolverines headed into halftime still within striking distance.
What’s Next
After two games away from Ann Arbor, the Wolverines return to Crisler Center on Wednesday (Nov. 19) to face undefeated Middle Tennessee, with the matchup also serving as Military Appreciation Night. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
Notes
• With his 10 rebounds, Lendeborg surpassed the 800-rebound plateau (809) in his Division I career. For his overall collegiate career, he now sits at 1,679.
• With his five rebounds, Cadeau now has five-plus rebounds in all three games this season.
• With his six assists, Gayle surpassed five assists in a game for the 10th time in his career.
• Michigan has had at least one Wolverine with five-plus assists in all three games.
