U-M Drops 16-point Decision to Utes

The Michigan basketball team dropped a 68-52 decision to the Utah Utes on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City, Utah. Manny Harris went for 25, but the rest of the Wolverines managed just 27 in the loss.

SALT LAKE CITY - The Wolverines fell to 4-4 on the season with a 68-52 loss to the Utah Utes on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City. Manny Harris scored 25 to lead the Wolverines, but the rest of the Maize and Blue offense managed just 27 more.

Marshall Henderson scored a career-high 22 points for the Utes, and Carlon Brown netted 10 points in the final half as the Utes used a strong second half surge to build the large deficit to put it out of reach midway through the second half.

Utah outrebounded the Wolverines 41-25, plus edged the Maize and Blue 38-16 in points in the paint. DeShawn Sims was held to just 10 points.

At the middle point of the game the home team built a 35-27 lead. Henderson scored 16 of his team-high 22 points in the first half for the Utes. At the middle point of the period he netted 10 straight Utah points as the Wolverines fell behind 21-17.

Michigan closed the gap and trimmed the Utah lead to 42-41 near the middle of the second half. Manny Harris scored seven straight Michigan points, a pair of layups plus a three-point jumper, but Utah once again answered.

Henderson hit a jumper to push the lead back to three, and it started an 8-2 run that pushed the lead back near double-digits. Michigan would pull within four once more, on a pair of Harris free throws with just more than five minutes left, but got no closer.

Michigan scored just one more point over the final 5:15, and the Utes emerged victorious with a 68-52 victory.