Shorthanded Michigan basketball falls at Rutgers, 75-67

Michigan Wolverines basketball was without freshman guard Frankie Collins, senior forward Brandon Johns Jr. and sophomore forward Terrance Williams II due to illnesses, while sophomore guard Zeb Jackson also did not make the trip due to a personal reason, in a 75-67 loss at Rutgers Tuesday night.

The game marked Rutgers’ first-ever win over Michigan in 15 tries. The Wolverines are now 7-6 and face Michigan State at home Saturday.

Here is a recap of how the contest unfolded.

RELATED

• Update on the 2022 Michigan Basketball Recruiting Class

First Half

Rutgers senior guard/forward Ron Harper Jr. got the scoring going with a three-pointer over Michigan sophomore center Hunter Dickinson in semi-transition with 18:30 to go. On the team’s next trip down, Scarlet Knight junior guard Paul Mulcahy hit a triple at the top of the key to make it 6-0, before Dickinson hit a mid-range jumper to put the Maize and Blue on the board and make it 6-2.

Rutgers senior guard Geo Baker nailed a triple to make it 12-4 at the 16-minute mark, before Michigan freshman forward Moussa Diabate answered with a jump hook on the next drive.

Michigan freshman wing Caleb Houstan was fouled shooting a layup in transition at 14:38, when the first media timeout occurred. Out of the timeout, he made both free throws to cut the deficit to 14-8.

Baker hit Rutgers’ fourth three-pointer in as many attempts to begin the game and give it the largest lead to that point, 17-8, with just over 14 minutes remaining in the first half. The hot shooting start continued minutes later, with Harper Jr. hitting a contested triple with the shot clock winding down at 12:22 to make it a 22-11 ball game.

Houstan misfired on a pass to a wide-open Dickinson, leading to an open Harper Jr. made three on the other end. Rutgers led, 29-15, at the 8:27 mark, at which point Michigan head man Juwan Howard called timeout.

Dickinson heated up and scored two-straight buckets to pull Michigan within 10, before Rutgers scored on three-straight possessions to make it 35-19 with 4:44 to go, when Howard burned his second timeout.

Michigan fifth-year senior guard Eli Brooks drained a triple out of the timeout, bringing the Wolverines within 13 points, 35-22. That began a personal 7-0 run for Brooks, made it 35-26 with a layup at the 2:02 mark. Rutgers called a quick timeout at that point.

The Wolverines connected on four of their last five shots and ended the half on an 11-4 run over the last three and a half minutes. Rutgers held a 39-30 lead at the break.

Harper Jr. led all scorers at halftime with 15 points, while Baker poured in 11 points. Dickinson topped the Wolverines with 10 points.

Second Half

Rutgers senior guard Caleb McConnell got the half going with an and-one layup and made free throw to make it 42-30 right out of the gate. Following a defensive stop, Baker hit a long two to extend the lead to 44-30.

The Scarlet Knights held a 46-32 edge at the under-16 media timeout.

Rutgers went on a 7-2 run, highlighted by a corner three-pointer from McConnell, which forced Howard to call timeout. At that point, the home team led, 53-36, and held its largest lead of the night to that point. Michigan had four turnovers in the first seven minutes of the half, while Rutgers had none and made 50 percent of its shots.

Diabate drove the middle of the lane and made a layup (was fouled, but missed the free throw) to make it 55-44 with nine and a half minutes to play. After a stop, Houstan was fouled, and with Michigan in the bonus, made his first foul shot but missed the second to cut it to 10, 55-45, with nine minutes to go — marking a 9-2 run.

Harper Jr. hit a three off a catch-and-shoot to push the Rutgers lead back to 13 points, 60-47, at the 7:33 mark, before Brooks found a rolling Dickinson for an and-one on the next trip down. Dickinson made the free throw to make it 60-50.

A driving Brooks found Diabate in the corner for a three-pointer to make it 60-53 at the 6:17 mark, but McConnell answered with his third three of the second half to bring it right back to a 10-point game.

Down the stretch, Rutgers kept its lead, and Michigan never got the deficit cut to closer than seven points. The Scarlet Knights notched the 75-67 win.

Baker (27 points) and Harper Jr. (20) had huge scoring nights, while Dickinson carried Michigan with 25 points but didn’t have enough help.