WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – In the matchup between No. 1 Michigan basketball and No. 7 Purdue, it was the visitors who delivered the impression of a freight train early in an 91-80 victory on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
The Wolverines ripped off a 16-0 run to turn a February Big Ten slog into a runaway for U-M midway through the first half at a practically vibrating Mackey Arena.
Nine Wolverines scored in the first half as Michigan stretched its lead as far as 20 points before bringing it into the halftime station leading, 48-32.
Elliott Cadeau led the Wolverines with 17 points – including eight of U-M's first 10 points in the second half – while Aday Mara added 10 points and 12 rebounds and Yaxel Lendeborg had 13 points and seven assists.
Big Ten tournament picture
The win by the Wolverines (25-1, 15-1) extends U-M’s lead in the Big Ten to 2½ games over Illinois (12-3) and three games over Nebraska (11-3). The Cornhuskers played late Tuesday night at Iowa, while the Illini visit USC on Wednesday night. Michigan has four games remaining in league play and could clinch its first regular-season title since 2021 with victories in its next two Big Ten contests.
Next up for Michigan basketball
But first, the Wolverines have to deal with No. 3 Duke in a neutral-site nonconference matchup in Washington on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ESPN). The winner at Capital One Arena this weekend could have the inside track for the No. 1 overall seed in next month’s NCAA Tournament. After the Blue Devils, the Wolverines return to Big Ten play again Minnesota at Crisler Center on Tuesday (8:30 p.m., Big Ten Network).
Maize and (deep) blue
The Wolverines started slow, making just one of their first six shots (including misses on four 3-point tries) to fall behind, 5-0, just over three minutes in. And after that, it was all U-M; Aday Mara got the Wolverines on the scoreboard with a dunk, and after a pair of 3-point misses, U-M ripped off a 24-5 run to take command.
That included a scorching performance beyond the arc; after missing their first four 3s, the Wolverines sank eight of 12, with seven players contributing at least one long ball. The lone exception? Lendeborg, who went 2-for-5 from outside, en route to 10 first-half points. That tied him for U-M’s top scorer with Mara, who hit all four of his shots from the field and added eight rebounds.
Perhaps the only problem for Michigan was, surprisingly, in the paint, as the Boilermakers topped the Wolverines there, 18-14. But with U-M winning the rebounding battle, 21-14, and getting 14 second-chance points to Purdue’s four, the Boilermakers simply couldn’t keep up in a 16-point game at the half.
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This story will be updated.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball shows why it's No. 1 with pounding of Purdue