Wolverines Rout Northern Michigan in Season

The No. 15-ranked Michigan basketball team opened the season with a 97-50 win over visiting NMU on Saturday night in Ann Arbor. Manny Harris led Michigan with the schools second ever triple-double.

ANN ARBOR – The No. 15-ranked Michigan basketball team opened the season tonight ranked for the first time in over a decade. The Wolverines played like a team worthy of the lofty preseason praise. Junior Manny Harris paced the Wolverines with the programs second ever triple double, an 18 point, 13 rebound and 10 assist effort, as the Wolverines dominated the Northern Michigan Wildcats 97-50 in the opener.

Michigan also saw double-digit offensive efforts from DeShawn Sims, Zack Gibson and freshman Darius Morris and Matt Vogrich. Vogrich, one of the top prep shooting guards in the nation last season, finished 5-for-5 behind the arc in his debut for U-M.

Michigan controlled the contest from the opening minutes. 2:30 into the contest, after a Morris lay up and a Laval Lucas-Perry triple, Michigan led 5-0. NMU answered with a Jared Benson layup to cut the lead to three points, but they got no closer.

With 12 minute left in the half the lead ballooned to 10 points for the first time. Zack Gibson hit a long two from the corner to give Michigan a 17-6 lead. After Manny Harris answered a Marc Renelique jumper with a pair of free throws, Gibson finished two more offensive possesions with buckets to give Michigan a 23-10 advantage.

Matt Vogrich helped push the lead to 26 points at 46-20 with three consecutive three-balls before jumpers from DeShawn Sims and Zack Novak. The Wolverines took that 26-point lead to the half after the teams exchanged buckets to end the half up 51-25.

Five minutes into the second half the Wolverines lead grew to 36 points. Michigan opened the stanza on a 14-4 run with the first nine points coming off the hot hands of DeShawn Sims or Harris.

With six minutes left a Darius Morris lay up pushed the lead to 50 points at 91-41.

The remainder of the contest saw NMU trim the lead to the final margin of 97-50.

The No. 15 Wolverines next return to the hardwood on Friday, Nov. 20, with Houston Baptist coming to Crisler Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 with a video stream being provided by BigTenNetwork.com.