The disappointment on the faces of the Michigan Wolverines was obvious the
day before their first round NIT match-up with the Utah State Aggies, but the
home team managed to put the sour feelings by the time game time rolled around.
Tommy Amaker utilized a liberal substitution pattern that allowed his bench
players more time on the floor. It was move to make sure the spirit and effort
stayed consistent throughout the night, and one that ultimately proved effective.
The two teams fought a back and forth battle early on, but it was the Aggies
that grabbed a 15-14 lead on a Jaycee Carroll three-pointer at the 13:29 mark.
That’s when the Wolverines got a scoring boost from their freshmen big
men. Deshawn Sims was the first to hit pay-dirt with two straight mid-range
jumpers before Ekpe Udoh followed up with a turnaround jumper of his own to
give Michigan a 20-17 advantage.
Utah State answered the brief spurt with four unanswered points to go back
on top, but the lead didn’t last long. Michigan senior big men Courtney Sims and Brent Petway got into the act, scoring four points apiece on an 8-0
run to regain a 28-21 lead.
Minutes later, Utah State had cut the deficit back down to two when Deshawn
Sims went to work again.
The former Pershing star looked like his old self, reeling off seven unanswered
points to put Michigan a 35-26 with 2:09 remaining. The Wolverines expanded
that lead to twelve (40-28) heading into the break thanks to five straight points
from Jerret Smith, including a three-pointer just before the buzzer.
"When you're playing basketball, you just get in a zone,” Sims said
regarding his scoring spurt. “That's exactly what I was in – a little
zone of my own. I knew the shots were going to fall because of the way things
were going."
The visitors managed to reduce the lead to single digits early in the second
period, but Michigan still maintained a 52-43 lead at the 12:34 mark. That’s
when the Aggies mounted their last serious threat of the game. A 10-2 run featuring
three-pointers by Nick Hammer and Durrall Peterson cut the deficit to one (54-53)
with 8:18 to go. With the game in doubt the, Maize & Blue dug in defensively
and got a big scoring lift from the backcourt tandem of Jerret Smith and Lester Abram.
Abram stopped the bleeding for Michigan with a slashing move to the hole for
a big and-one basket That ignited a 12-0 run, that also featured seven points
from Smith, that put the Wolverines back out front by double digits again before
cruising to the 68-58 victory.
After the game Amaker singled out the performances of Smith and Deshawn Sims.
"I thought Deshawn Sims gave us some incredible minutes off the bench,”
Amaker said. “He had energy and he was aggressive on the offensive end.
He knocked down jump shots and hit the glass hard. He really gave us a shot
in the arm. I thought Jerret played a pretty darn good floor game. He made free
throws down the stretch, which is what a good point guard is supposed to do."
On the night the Wolverines were led by Jerret Smith’s 15 points and
four assists. Utah State’s Jaycee Carroll led all scorers with 22 points.
For more on the game, click the following links: Boxscore,
Notes,
Quotes.
Next up for the Wolverines is a second round trip to Tallahassee to take on
Florida State. The Seminoles defeated Toledo 77-61 earlier in the evening. Tip-off
is scheduled for 7 PM EST and will be carried on ESPN U.