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Dusty May lost his voice, and Michigan benefited on the last play vs. UCSD

Chris Balasby:Chris Balas•03/21/25•

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Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May and his team held off UCSD. : Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May and his team held off UCSD. : Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Michigan was up 3 on UC-San Diego with 19.3 seconds to go after graduate center Vlad Goldin’s two clutch free throws, and the Wolverines had a choice — play it out, or foul and send the Tritons to the line so they couldn’t tie it with a three. 

They weren’t going to foul early, head coach Dusty May said — there was too much time on the clock. But when it started ticking down and UCSD head coach Eric Olen got the matchup he wanted with shooter Tyler McGhie on Danny Wolf, May changed course. 

“They had it with 19 seconds. It’s not our call,” May said. “I thought they were going to try to get a quick strike obviously because they’re down. That didn’t happen. When we got to switch late, I was trying to get Danny to call it. I don’t have my voice. He couldn’t see me. He was locked into playing defense. 

“He actually forced them inside the line, but he popped back out. I thought Danny stayed in the space fairly well.”

Well enough to force McGhie to shoot over him, anyway. The ball hit the back iron and bounced off, Michigan guard Rubin Jones securing the rebound to save the win. 

UCSD came out with more energy in the second half down 41-27 and punched the Wolverines in the mouth. Michigan wore down a bit when the Tritons guards continued to go at them.

“Down the stretch, we were hunting the big men,” McGhie said. “Yeah, I think I got the shot I wanted, a step back going left. I thought it was in. It hit the back. I couldn’t believe it. I still can’t believe it.”

Michigan players walked off the floor in relief after blowing a 15-point second half lead. The Tritons mulled around in shocked disbelief that they’d lost for the first time in 16 games.

“The way Ty was playing, we knew we weren’t going to call timeout to say get the ball to Ty, let him go one on one,” Olen said. “It didn’t feel necessary. I try not to do that in those moments. I try not to over-coach them.

“I think everyone on our team knew exactly what we were trying to do. We got the switch we wanted, the matchup we wanted, the guy we wanted with the ball. I know Ty felt like it was in, but I also thought it was pretty good defense from Wolf. He’s capable of making those. He’s been making shots like that … you saw the four or five minutes before what he can do. When he gets going like that, we try to get him the right matchups and let him go to work.”

They’d have made that decision down three or two, Olen said. 

“I have a lot of confidence in those guys, Ty, in those moments,” he said. “If I could do it again, I’d do it the same way.”

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