Hoops Drops Non-Conference Finale

Despite building an eight point lead in the second half the Michigan Wolverines basketball team was unable to hold off the No. 8 UCLA Bruins in a 69-54 loss to conclude the non-conference schedule at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor on Saturday afternoon.

ANN ARBOR -- The Michigan basketball team battled back from a quick 8-0 hole to provide a scare to the No. 8 UCLA Bruins, but after the Maize and Blue climbed to a 36-28 lead with just under 15 minutes to go, UCLA guard Josh Shipp and the rest of the Bruins took over in a come from behind 69-54 win over the Wolverines.

DeShawn Sims led the Wolverines in scoring with 12 points, but the Wolverines wing player had just two in the second half as Michigan fell to 4-8 on the season.

"We played a very good team today. Obviously, we're not content with the result but we can still take some key things away from this ballgame and roll them over into the Big Ten season," said Sims. "We just played together. We were unselfish and we played with a chip on our shoulders."

UCLA jumped on top 8-0 in the opening minutes of the contest. It was until a Sims jumper fell through over three and a half minutes into the game that Michigan first broke onto the scoreboard.

The teams exchanges scores as Michigan battled back into the contest forcing an 11-11 tie near the middle of the frame. Anthony Wright made a shot from three-point land to tie it with 6:44 to go.

Under a minute later the Wolverines led for the first time. Following a pair of Kevin Love free throws, the Wolverines went up 14-13 with a Zach Gibson triple.

UCLA took the lead back with under two minutes to play, but a pair of triples from DeShawn Sims tied the game 24-24 with just over a minute in the half, and C.J. Lee connected from downtown with five seconds left to make it 27-24 Michigan.

The teams exchanged buckets over the next few minutes and Michigan's lead grew to eight points on a pair of Manny Harris free throws with 14:48 to go. A 13-5 UCLA run, however, drew the teams back to even at 41-41 with 9:50 in the game.

Ekpe Udoh added one more bucket to give the Wolverines their final lead at 43-41.

Josh Shipp scored five straight points to put the Bruins on top 48-43. Luc Ri Mbah a Moute added a jumper before another Shipp triple put the game out of reach at 53-43.

Michigan got within no fewer then then seven points over the rest of the contest. Manny Harris was the only other Wolverines player in double digits. Harris scored 11 points for the Wolverines.

Michigan now turns its attention to Big 10 play. Michigan opens conference action with a 7:00 tip-off against the Wisconsin Badgers on Wednesday night at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor.